


Our True Selves Will Be Revealed

by ivegotsomanyfandoms



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:03:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 56,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5376194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivegotsomanyfandoms/pseuds/ivegotsomanyfandoms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmilla's mother is pressured her to find something that she desperately wants, but in order to get it she must get past one thing. A girl. A girl and her friends. Who becomes more than she bargained for.<br/>Laura Hollis has almost everything she has ever wanted. Until her lab partner starts getting on her nerves.<br/>Danny Lawrence is Gryffindor's Golden Girl, but she's always had her secrets and her fair share of being a wreck.<br/>Wilson Kirsch is the puppy of the campus and almost everyone loves him, but no one can see that under those puppy eyes he hides a dark truth, a dark reality.<br/>Lola Perry has always been the realistic one, until she was put on a train to go to a school of magic in which she had no clue could have ever existed and if weren't for her best friend LaFontaine, she wouldn't have kept her head together. However, is that really her story or is it just a story?<br/>LaFontaine had always loved the idea of magic and mythical things. Mixing it with Muggle science could make things even better, but when it comes to mysterious, they can't help but dive right into one not knowing what they are doing or who they're up against.<br/>People will clash, and they won't be wearing any facade when they do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Before I Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> I new to this whole thing so let me know what you think. Leave comments, suggestions, questions. I would really love the feedback. I hope you enjoy, I started writing this along time ago and was so happy to come across this awesome website where I can share it with you all.

_Ch 1_

 

**Carmilla (1)**

One hour.

Carmilla couldn’t believe she would have to sit in the Great Hall for a whole hour to watch the newbies get sorted. Normally, she would skip out on the event as it was a big waste of her time, but she was already on probation and they decided to make her sit through this stupid thing and show the newbies around to learn the importance of coming into the house, and making great wizards to keep your house legacy. What-freaking-ever.

The fact that she had to sit through this was torture enough, but to have to escort the newbies around… It was a nightmare. Carmilla hated people in general, she hated new people even more. And her mother knew that. Everyone knew it.

“Ravenclaw!” the hat called.

No doubt she was. She had geeky glasses and had that demeanor about her. The little firstie smiled a sickening length from ear to ear as if it was the greatest thing in the world to be put in Ravenclaw. They were a just a bunch of smart-asses put in one house.

The next kid was a scrawny little boy who looked as if he would burst out crying at any moment. This could actually get interesting for once.

Carmilla watched as the hat was placed on the boy and he fliched at the feel of it moving. She scoffed.

“Gryffindor!” it shouted and the room was filled with astoundingly annoying cheers from the gryffindor table. Carmilla didn’t know what the hat saw, but from what she saw, he didn’t fit the Gryffindor profile.

The last newbie stepped up to the hat. She was so small and the hat fit so that her eyes were barely poking out underneath the hat, but she had this stern look on her face. An RBF, is what the muggles called it. A resting bitch face. She almost tripped going up the steps, Carmilla could barely hold her laugh.

“Hufflepuff!” the hat called and Carmilla let out a “Ha!” because Hufflepuffs usually looked so nice and comfortable, this girl did not look nice at all. Whatever. The hat was usually right whenever it chose the house. Except when Carmilla was up there.

Six years ago, she walked into the Great Hall unsurprised by the enormity of it because she had seen it several times before. Too many times. As the boys and girls around her looked around in awe, she looked down and picked at her nails.

A girl next to her jabbed Carmilla’s side with her elbow.

“Omigod. I’m sorry,” she was about a foot taller than Carmilla with red hair and very excited look on her face. “Can you believe this? We’re actually here. At a magic school. A school that actually teaches about spells and potions.”

“Yeah, sure. Just watch where you’re going.”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I just didn’t see you there.”

Carmilla nodded and started back at picking her nails.

“I’m Danny by the way,” she held out her hand. “Hopefully I’ll be put in Gryffindor. What’s your name? You look a little old to be a first year.”

Carmilla looked back up at her and raised her eyebrow. Did it look like she wanted to have a conversation right now?

“No one that concerns you”

Carmilla turned on her heel and headed to the back of the crowd. She didn’t want to deal with over enthusiastic people right now. In fact, she really wished she didn’t have to interact with people at all today.

After what seemed like a blur of forever with people trying to talk and interact with her, and she kept giving them dirty looks, everyone started to avoid her. Thirty minutes down and she was already developing a reputation, just wait until they knew her name.

“Karnstein, Carmilla!” the professor shouted and the whole room went quiet in an instant, and as she started up the steps, she could hear the whispers.

She felt the hat rest on her head, almost a perfect fit. The last time she tried it on, it fell over her eyes and her mother screamed at her for touching things that she was told not to touch.

The hat wiggled above her and whispered, “Well… You have quite the interesting mind. Brave, yes. Smart, yes. I feel that there is a loyalty in you… It’s quite suppressed, but I can see it. You don’t lack kindness, you just don’t show it. Hmmm.. Where to put you?”

At that point Carmilla wanted to throw the thing off her head and burn it. Loyalty? She had never followed or listened to anyone in her life since the first grade. Kindness? You had to be kidding me. She hadn’t cared for anyone but herself for a long time. Except for Will. But still, this had to be some sort of joke.

“Well!” The hat finally spoke and surprised her. “I can see the attitude and you have quite the tongue on you don’t you? I’ve seen you before, and I know exactly where to put you.

Carmilla rolled her eyes. She’s heard this all before. Her attitude? And she could never fit in here, she knew that all too well.

“Slytherin!” it shouted and the Slytherin table erupted into a confused cheer as to be very happy or very scared. The rest of the hall was dead silent though even as she walked to her seat, she could feel all eyes on her.

Whatever. She didn’t care, they didn’t know her.

When she took her seat, they tried to greet her with “congratulations” and “welcomes”, but she knew that they didn’t really mean it underneath everything.

But after about a week, she had grown a reputation. Not as the headmistress’s daughter, but as something else, mysterious. But Carmilla didn’t care. She was herself and she could care less of what people thought. Including her mother’s opinions. She’d been that way ever since her mom became the headmistress of Hogwarts and it only seemed to grow coming into Hogwarts.

She remembered that her mom would always told her that she was too young to be the way she was. Carmilla believed that it didn’t matter how old you were, it was how you grew up. Nature and nurture.

“Carmilla?” she heard a fellow Slytherin, Elise, interrupt her reminiscing.

She slowly turned her head to her.

“Don’t you have to escort some of the newbies around?” she asked as she gestured towards the door where the newbies were forming up.

Carmilla nodded. Elise was one of the few people Carmilla could stand. She didn’t take crap from anyone and she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. A lot like Carmilla, except she was a lot more social and talkative, and outgoing.

“Thanks,” Carmilla grumbled, got up from the table and headed towards where the little balls of joy were waiting.

In her year, they were escorted by their perfects, but they changed it three years ago so that the firsties could all socialize with each other and “make friends” that were outside of your house. It worked for about the first two weeks, then they all would just naturally separate and find new friends outside of their houses.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and Carmilla whipped around to see another sixth year, short, blonde Hufflepuff girl facing her.

“Are you Carmilla?”

Carmilla knew that she just asked out of formality. Everyone knew who she was.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Carmilla sighed.

“Ummm… Cool. I’m Laura. This list had us partnered up for this escort.”

Right. Carmilla forgot to look at that. They usually put two or three fifth, sixth or seventh years together to escort firsties.

“Ok.” Carmilla said showing no emotion, showing no care.

“Great!” she said a little too perky. “Lead the way?”

Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Uhhh… Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll just bring up the rear and make sure that no one gets lost or falls out of the group.”

“Cool. I believe that we’re taking group number five.”

Carmilla raised her eyebrows and gestured towards the groups.

“Right. I’ll lead. Awesome.”

Laura bounded enthusiastically towards the group, Carmilla following a good five feet behind her.

Carmilla decided that this girl was way too perky for her to ever like her, and that she would now be annoyed by this girl. But, there was something about her that made Carmilla not be annoyed by her even though she willed it.

Elle. That’s what it was. The bounding. When no one was around, Elle would force Carmilla to bound up and down the hallways. She acted like she hated it, but secretly it was one of her favorite things to do with Elle because it always put a huge smile on her face when Carmilla actually did it. But she wouldn’t think about that now. She promised she would never think of her again. It was hard though.

Thankfully for Carmilla, the newbies naturally avoided her because either one- they were too interested in what was around them, or two- they could feel her “don’t bother me, I hate everyone” vibes. Either way, Carmilla was fine with it. And Laura just kept moving, explaining about almost everything they passed.

“Be careful the staircases often change position randomly and quickly.”

“Yes, the pictures move, they’re all of former Hogwarts graduates that either died a terrible death or died at an old age and did something good with their life.”

“Watch out for the ghosts. They like to pop up anywhere at anytime, so don’t be too alarmed if you see them around.”

It seemed to go on forever.

“And that’s the end of the tour!” Laura yelled. “Hope you all do well and have fun. Good luck!”

At this point, they would all split up into their houses and go with a designated upper-year to their dormitories. And guess who was the Slytherin upper-year for this group? Carmilla. She was so freaking excited. Not.

“Hey, Carmilla!” Laura called before Carmilla got the chance to get away.

Carmilla slowly turned around with an exaggerated arm swing.

Laura was jogging over and stopped right in front of her.

“Thanks for making sure everyone was safe and that no one got lost. If you weren’t there, I probably would’ve lost a few. It was a good idea to have someone back there.”

“Mmm-Hmmm. No problem.”

“Well, anyway, good luck with the rest of the year! See you around!”

Carmilla waved as she walked away. Hopefully, she would never see her again. She was annoying, but in a weird way Carmilla didn’t mind and that bothered her a lot. She could not be going soft.

Eh. It was probably just the bounding thing that got to her. She mentally shook it off and turned to the group of her firsties.

“Alright chumps. Let’s go see your new hell hole.”

They all instantly looked frightened.

“Ummmm…” Carmilla gave them all a weird look. “I was just kidding. Relax a little, will ya? You’re all annoying wound up and scared of nothing. Geez.”

Some of them relaxed and some just looked even more frightened. Whatever.

“Not scaring them off so soon, Carmilla?”

She didn’t have to turn around to see who it was.

“Will. How nice of you to show up. Would you like to take these newbies to our dormitory?”

He chuckled.

“Geez sis, how nice of you to want to dump the responsibility on me, but sure, I’ll do it,” he paused for a moment. “As long as you do my next Potions paper.”

Carmilla weighed her options. Eh. One paper to not deal with the annoying chumps. Sure, she would take it.

“Eh… Why not?” She turned to the frightened firsties. “Alrighty, you’re all going to go with him to your new hell hole.”

Will smiled.

“I promise, it’s not a hell hole and you’ll think of it as home in the next few weeks.” Will said to the firsties. “Carmilla here is just being exaggerate and annoying.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Thank you, William. I will see you later.”

She heard him chuckle as she walked away.

Carmilla really care for Will. He was two years behind her and in his fourth year now. During his first year, Carmilla always watched out for him and made sure he had everything was alright. She stopped bugging him about halfway through his year when he started making real friends and she had to stop babying him so much.

Will was really all she had. She didn’t mind it, but sometimes, she wished he was around her a bit more. She would never say that to anyone, much less ever try to make it happen. She was herself and she liked it. Did she?

 

**Laura**

Geez. She had never dealt with someone so unenthusiastic before, then again, she usually only stuck with her friends she had had since her second year.

On the bright side though, they didn’t lose a firstie. Laura remembered when Perry got lost when being led to their dorms. The Hufflepuff seventh year freaked out and had to send an entire search party to find her. What a fun time.

Laura had never been the loudest person in the world. But, she wasn’t too shy either. She often did have a problem with getting in other people’s business though when she knew it was none of hers. People hated her for it, people loved her for it. She tried to hide it when people thought it was annoying because she hated it when people disliked her. She couldn’t help it, she was just a natural people-pleaser.

Everything was so new and exciting and unbelievable when she got her letter. Coming from a family of muggles wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. And it was even harder to try and explain to her parents what Hogwarts was.

The day she finally arrived was like a dream, but she could remember each detail of that day almost perfectly because it was the day that changed her life, where she knew it would never be the same again.

The compartment door that Laura was in slid open and a tall girl with long, red hair popped her head in the door.

“Is there room in here?”

Laura laughed. It was just her and some other kid who was sleeping in the corner. She nodded her head.

“Yeah. Go ahead and make yourself right at home.”

The girl with red hair smiled at her and from behind her another girl with short, red hair walked in.

“You want me to put those above you?” she asked the long-haired girl.

“Yes. Please. Just make it neat.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The short-haired girl carefully lifted up their trunks and placed them in the racks above them as the girl with the long-hair took a seat next to Laura.

“What are you?” she asked.

“I’m sorry?” Laura looked at the girl really confused.

“Perry! That’s a rude question to ask!” the girl with short-hair yelled.

“What?” the girl named Perry said. “I just want to know what she knows and if she knows anything at all about Hogwarts or if she has no clue.”

“That’s still rude. You don’t just ask people what kind of “blood” they have. It’s rude. What if she was one of those purebloods that always go to Slytherin? What would you have done then?”

Laura was very confused. She had no idea what they were talking about. Blood? What’s a pure-blood? Why were they stereotyping them into Slytherin?

“Well, she’s obviously not.”

“Still.”

The girl with short hair gave Perry a nice long, scolding stare.

“Ummm…” Laura said interrupting the silence. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really sure what you’re talking about. What do you mean by my ‘blood’?”

Laura kept looking back-and-forth at the two of them. She was super confused, but she also wanted to know what they were talking about. Laura’s curiosity usually overtook everything else.

“It’s nothing bad. Well… It could be, but it’s not usually used in bad terms.” Perry replied.

“That’s a lie,” the short-haired said. “It can be very much used in derogatory terms. Any of them. It usually depends on the context words, except for… Well. It’s always used in bad terms.”

Laura looked at both of them to explain.

“Look,” Perry said. “I’m guessing you’re muggle-born?”

“Meaning that my parents are muggles?”

“Yes. Both of them?”

“No only one.”

“That’s one of the “bloods”. Being muggle-born. You’re parents aren’t magical and usually they don’t know much about the wizarding world.”

Laura could still see her dad’s face when he tried to explain about her letter and Hogwarts. Her mother couldn’t explain it to her because...

“Susan is muggle-born. We know each other from growing up in the same neighborhood. Her parents know some because my mom was really good at explaining it.”

“So you’re parents are both wizards?” Laura asked.

“No. Just my mom. My dad is a muggle.”

“So you’re like me…?” Laura knew she probably shouldn’t have asked and that it was rude, but she couldn’t help her own tongue.

“Half-blood. My dad’s a muggle and my mom’s a witch. Bit of a nasty shock when he found out. Quite a funny story though.”

“Oh.” Laura said. She never had really thought about it and her parents. A muggle and a wizard together. She knew it did happen just never expected it to be her mother and father.

“Yeah, and that comes down to pure-bloods whose parents are both a wizard and witch.”

“What’s so bad about them? Why Slytherin?”

Susan gave a sympathetic look.

“They’re not all bad. Just some of them tend to reject muggle-borns because they don’t come from wizarding families. It’s a stupid concept. Just be careful if you come across a Slytherin. They were usually put in Slytherin for a reason.”

“Susan,” Perry interrupted. “They’re not all bad. They’re not evil, Perry. That’s not watch their house stands for.”

“But you know it’s their reputation.”

“So?” Perry turned to Laura. “Slytherin isn’t that bad. Sure you get some bad eggs in that house, but they’re not evil. That’s not their thing. They’re cunning and ambitious, and they just tend to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.”

“Yes. Whatever it takes, they usually could care less for the consequences.”

“Susan!””

“What? You know that most bad wizards come from that house!”

“SUSAN! IT”S NOT A BAD HOUSE! IT JUST EARNED A BAD REPUTATION!”

Laura backed away a little from this Perry girl. She was not someone she wanted to mess with.

“I’m just trying to tell her the truth.” Susan said.

Perry sighed.

“Whatever, just make sure you tell her everything.”

“Ooookkkkk.” Susan said then turned to Laura. “Don’t trust a Slytherin. Don’t be a Slytherin. Avoid the Slytherins.”

“SUSAN! Not all of them are bad.”

“Ok, ok. That is true. Just be careful who you make friends with in that house.”

“Thank you!” Perry said exasperated.

Laura smiled. She liked these girls. They were nice and they were definitely helping her out. She knew she was going to need some guidance.

“Don’t worry too much,” Perry said. “There will be a lot of muggle-borns who know nothing about Hogwarts. And you’ll learn pretty quickly.”

It was like she read her mind. Yep. She was definitely not to mess with this girl.

“Hey Laura!” she heard someone call out the dormitory and her head snapped out of the past and she turned around to see JP approaching her.

“Hi JP.”

JP was one of the nicest guys ever and she was dared to asked him out back in their third year. She didn’t realize that she wanted him to say yes until he said no and that he just wanted to be friends.

Laura could never figure out why he turned her down considering he was always so sweet and hanging out with her until about a week later, he came out and told her he was gay. She remembered how frustrated she was because one of the nicest guys in the school was gay. He finally came out about a year later to everyone in the school. First one too, too. And it was awesome because most people supported it. Laura certainly did because she had finally realized she was bisexual when she was in her second year and only JP knew about it.

He had encouraged her to come out after his acceptance and then there was a wave of kids that came out too, but she never really felt the need to. It wasn’t that she was scared. Well… Maybe she was, but she just didn’t feel that people needed to know. Nor, she never really tried to hide it. She had flirted with plenty of girls before. Or tried to flirt, she knew she wasn’t the best at it.

“What’s up JP?”

He plopped his body down on the couch right next to her and laid his head on her thigh.

“Nothing much. How about you?”

Laura laughed. That was probably a lie. JP was one of the most popular and most hated kids in the school. There was always something going on with him.

“Really? There’s nothing going on?”

JP looked up and couldn’t help but grin and Laura instantly knew that there was something going on.

“What makes you think something is going on?”

“For godsake JP. I know you. There is always something going on with you.”

He laughed.

“Alright, alright. You got me.”

He adjusted his head a little to look at Laura a little more comfortably.

“Spill.” Laura demanded.  
“Well first off, Kirsch is still giving me a hard time. I don’t know why. He’s just a temperamental guy and he won’t leave me alone because I’m not playing Quidditch. I quit for a reason and he won’t leave me alone about it. He’s complaining because they competition just got “easier”. To be honest, I think he’s still trying to get used to the idea that I’m gay and he’s just looking at other things to harass me about.”

“Awww…” Laura stroked his hair. “You want me to talk to him?”

Laura was friends with Kirsch and he was always nice to her, but JP was certainly right that he did have a temper, but at the same time was the big huge puppy. Innocent and he always seemed so dumb, but he was actually pretty smart.

“Mmmm… Yeah, just don’t mention I told you anything. I like the kid, he’s usually pretty nice, just needs to take a chill pill or something.”

Laura laughed. In her opinion most kids at this school needed to, including herself. After dealing with the newbies and Carmilla Karnstein she was really wound up until she finally sat down and focused on her homework.

“Alright. I’ll put in the word.”

Laura went back to her school work while JP relaxed on her leg, but she could feel him fidgeting and restlessness. She knew there was something else.

“What else is there?” she sighed.

JP laughed and said, “You know me too well.”

“Please, I can feel your restlessness and neediness to tell me something. You’re radiating it like the sun radiates heat.”

He scoffed.

“I am not.”

“Oh yes you are.”

“Fine whatever,” he paused for a moment and he did this all the time to Laura, making her wait a second or two until he gave some good news. Suspense building. “There’s this guy.”

“Ooooo… Who?”

“Not going to say because I’m not sure if it’s a thing or not.”

“Can you give me details?”

“Hell yes!”

Laura punched his arm.

“Then stop making me wait.”

“Alright, alright. He’s a Slytherin fourth year and he’s real hot. I mean like, really hot.”

“A Slytherin, huh?”

JP gave her a serious look. She knew that look. She got it a lot whenever someone brought up Slytherin. She couldn’t help but be influenced by what she heard her first day and what from some of the stories and things she’d seen, she couldn’t really help it.

“They’re not like you think Laura. They’re not evil. Just ambitious. You know that what the hat always sings. “You’ll make real friends/ Those cunning folk use any means, to achieve their ends”. Stop being like that because you always find the best in people and you always accept people. I’ve seen you make friends with Slytherins before. So, I don’t know why you’re like this whenever their house was brought up,”

Laura thought about it for a moment and realized that he was right. So why was she being like this? Then she realized that she was sort of jealous of them. They could do what they wanted because they were Slytherin, sure they could get into trouble, but that was a part of their nature and could get away with it.

Laura actually realized that she was jealous of all the houses. She was in Hufflepuff. She’d been told plenty of times that they were just as good and as awesome as the other houses, which she knew, but she couldn’t help but be jealous of Ravenclaw’s smarts, Gryffindor’s ability to be brave and Slytherin’s ability to basically get away with almost anything.

What was with her? She mentally shook her head to herself. She needed some sleep.

“I know JP. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s with me right now. I’m just going to go get some sleep.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied. “Just tired.”

Laura got up and turned away before JP could tell that she was lying.

Her head kept thinking, why Hufflepuff? Why was she jealous? Her house was just as good as the other houses. She knew it was.

 

**Danny**

“Faster Danny! Come on! Beat him!”

She gripped her broom tight and sped down towards the ground avoiding the obstacles in front of her.

She looked to her left and saw that Jon was catching up with her, but she had knew the obstacles coming up and knew she could beat him.

Dive.

Turn.

Spin.

Spin again and turn,

Pull up.

She got this. She crossed the finish line just in time to watch Jon smack his face into the last obstacle and go down into the ground. Hard.

“Oh shit.” Danny mumbled under her breath. She dove down straight towards Jon and landed smoothly on the ground. He wasn’t moving. Not good.

“Hey,” she rolled Jonathan on his back and saw blood. A lot of blood all over his face, but his eyes were open and he was breathing just fine. “You okay?”

“Sure,” he said taking a lot of his effort. “I’ll be good. Just a little bloody nose. Hit the board a little too hard. Just give me a sec in recover and catch my breath.”

Danny held out her hand, he grabbed it and she pulled him up.

“AHH… Ah.. Ah.” he kneeled over crutching his side. “Not good.”

Danny lifted his shirt up and saw how bruised his side looked.

“Yikes. Looks like you might’ve broken a rib and you’ve got to go to the infirmary…”

“Great,” he grumbled. They all hated going to the infirmary. It often meant they would have to miss out on a game or two which sucked really bad.

Danny remembered when she first fell of her broom. Hard.

“Danny Lawrence?” the Gryffindor captain called out.

It was her turn to tryout for the team. They had just lost one of their most valuable players from last year and she was looking to take his spot. She’d been flying before she could even walk.

Her dad was the top dog during his days at Hogwarts and she was looking to fill in those shoes.

“Lawrence?” the captain called again.

Danny snapped out of it and stepped forward, she was a good foot taller than him.

“Ahhh… Lawrence. You’re Frederick Lawrence’s daughter?”

She frowned. As much as she wanted to fill her dad’s shoes, she also wanted to be remembered by her own name and her own merits. Not her dad’s.

“Yes.” she sighed.

“I’m Collin the Gryffindor team captain. You ready?”

She almost laughed. Of course she was. She’d been ready since her first year which she tried to play during, but the stupid rules said she wasn’t allowed too.

“Yep.”

Before Collin could say anything she hopped on her broom and took off into the air.

She was tossed the Quaffle and started zooming ahead.

Her only goal was to get the Quaffle into the goals as many times as she could before time ran out. She knew that the Gryffindor defense was good, she’d been studying them all her first year. She was prepared for them.

She dodged the first player, then felt a bludger skim the top of her head as she ducked. Thirty feet. Dive under. Twenty feet. Ten feet. She raised her hand with the Quaffle in it and threw it as hard as she could. The keeper flew right in front of it, but then it hit him so hard that he fell back into the goal with the Quaffle in his arms.

Everyone looked incredibly bewildered. Score for Danny, but time wasn’t up yet.

She flew back to the starting position and raced through scoring forty more points. Twenty more than what everyone else had done.

Exhausted, she turned to look at Collin after her last goal when time was up, but instead turned to see a bludger inches from her face.

She felt it collide with her face and then she was falling, falling straight toward the ground. Bam! She finally felt the ground and her vision started going spotty.

“What the hell?!” She heard Collin yell, but it was very muffled in her ears. “Time was up! You knew that that wouldn’t have made it in time to stop her from scoring! Why’d you hit it?!”

She barely heard the guy mutter something in defense of himself, but she was losing consciousness.

She moved on her back with great effort, groaned, trying to stay awake, but the darkness washed over her and she was out.

Ever since that incident, she was careful to avoid bludgers and she did a damn good job because she hadn’t been hit by one since.

She knocked her knuckles on her broom to avoid the jinx.

With Jonathan’s arm around her, practically carrying him, she realized that after her third year, people stopped referring to her as “Frederick’s daughter” and as “the Danny Lawrence”. She didn’t care anymore. She was first driven to be better than her father. Now she was striving just to be better than herself. Just striving to be the best she could be.

She also wanted to try and impress her parents in some perspective because they weren’t very encouraging of her sexuality. They had different beliefs that what Danny had. She tried to tell them that she couldn’t help who she was attracted to, but they didn’t think it was a good enough reason.

“God,” Jonathan said. “Can’t believe that I need help to get to the infirmary. Should of seen that thing coming.”

“You’re fine. You’ll be fine quit your complaining.”

“Yeah, yeah says the winner of that race.”

She laughed.

“Maybe if you were more agile, you could’ve beaten me.”

“I wish I was. Beating Danny Lawrence would be one for the record books. There’s gotta be someone out there who can beat you and I would love to see that day.”

Danny purposely dropped Jonathan hard on the first bed that Madame Promfery directed her to it. She knew that one day she would be beat, she hated that and she hated that people always talked about trying it.

“OucH!” he yelped and smacked Danny’s arm.

“You hit like a girl.”

“Yeah, well you can’t blame me considering I’m currently injured.”

“Woss,” Danny called out while she was walking away.

He called out something, but Danny was already behind the closed door when he shouted it.

“Danny!” she knew that voice from anywhere and smiled from ear to ear. She turned around and saw her favorite short, blonde girl bounding over to her.

“Hey L.”

“What were you doing to the infirmary?” she asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Danny reassured her because she knew that was her main concern. “I was just dropping off one of my teammates who hit the ground hard.”

“Like you did your second year?”

Danny faltered. How did she know that? She made sure that no one knew about it or remembered it besides her teammates that were there.

“Uhhh.. Not really. He just broke one of his ribs, didn’t pass out or anything. How’d you know what happened at my tryouts?”

Laura blushed.

“Well… I might’ve been watching the Gryffindor tryouts that year.”

“Oh.” Danny didn’t really know how to respond. They’d been friends since their first year when she saved Laura from embarrassment and after a while, Danny started growing a crush on her, but was never sure if she felt the same way. There were some moments she thought were moments, but wasn’t quite sure.

Laura’s hand brushed Danny’s and she flinched, but Laura seemed unfazed.

She was usually so confident when asking other people out, why was she so nervous around her?

“You ready for Potions?” Laura asked. She knew it was Danny’s hardest course, she just could never get the perfect measurements.

Danny laughed.

“No. Not at all. I just hope I don’t blow up my pot like I did during the final exam last year.”

“Oh yeah,” Laura giggled. “I remember that. You looked so scared and disappointed. It was really funny, I kept playing it over in my head for days whenever I saw you.”

“Yeah and you wouldn’t stop teasing me about it either.” Danny smacked her arm.

“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

They were both laughing really hard, when Laura tripped and fell right into Danny’s arms. Danny almost lost her breath as she was inches away from Laura’s face.

Both of their laughs died and Danny realized that she’d been holding Laura a little too long. Danny pushed her up and they started walking again. Danny wasn’t sure to make of what had just happened because Laura hadn’t moved either.

“So… Where you headed to?” Danny asked breaking the awkward silence.

“The Great Hall. I’m leading the new students around for awhile.”

Danny looked at her watch. Was it really that late already? She wasn’t planning on going to the banquet, but…

“You have a buddy to you?”

Laura sighed. “Yes. I put in as a single because no one wanted to do it with me. Perry and Laf were already paired up together, Kirsch said he couldn’t do it because was busy and JP didn’t want to deal with the ‘newbies’.”

“Why didn’t you ask me? I totally would’ve done it with you.”

Laura whined.

“Why didn’t I? Ugh. That would’ve been totally great. We would make great partners together. Gosh darn it.”

Danny laughed. It was funny when she whined because it was often like a little kid.

“Do you know who you’re partnered with?”

“Yeah. I found out this morning. Speaking of which, I have to go. I’m meeting with our perfects to discuss the rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yeah because I guess last year, some of the sixth years messed with the firsties and got them lost.” Laura made a face that resembled a concerned mom.

“Alright. I’ll see you around then?”

“Of course! You going to the banquet?” she asked walking away.

“Nah. Just gonna get some sleep.” Danny faked a yawn.

Laura giggled. Why did she have to be so darn cute?

“Okay then… See ya later alligator!”

Only reinforcing what she thought moments ago, Danny just stared at Laura as she bounded down the hallway to go meet the newbies.

God. What was wrong with her?

**Kirsch**

Ten minutes, just ten more minutes.

His backpack was weighing on his shoulders, but he needed it.

Kirsch sprinted down the halls and outside towards the whomping willow. He had to make it. That one time he almost didn’t… He couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened.

He was also really pissed at himself for losing some of his temper again. He couldn’t believe that he said some of those things to JP. He liked JP. He just couldn’t help but be angry for no reason sometimes.

Kirsch was just chillin with his bros Sam, Tyler and Ronnie in the middle of the Hogwarts quad discussing the top ten hottest girls in school.

“I’d definitely say that Laura Hollis is up there dude.” Kirsch said.

“Hmmm… I can’t argue you with that, but no way I would date her. She’s too dorky and quiet. Not really my type.” Sam said.

“Hey,” Kirsch said defensively. “You gotta get to know her, dude. She’s actually super chill. She’s practically a bro.”

“I’d put her up there, but not top 5 material if we’re including personality.”

“Forget about personality,” Ronnie said. “Just purely top 10 based on body and looks.”

“Fine then,” Sam said. “I’d give Laura the number 5 spot.”

“Danny Lawrence?” Kirsch asked.

They all laughed.

“If we’re including personality, then she’s waaaaayyy of my top ten, but I’d put her number 4 since we’re just discussing looks.”

“Come on, bro. She seems pretty chill when she’s not trying to beat us up.”

They all laughed again.

“And when does she not try to beat us up?... Never.” Tyler scoffed.

Kirsch rolled his eyes. Sometimes these guys could be so crude. He actually thought Danny was pretty kick-ass. He’d seen her a few times as a nice person, but never directed at him.

Tyler slapped his and Sam’s shoulder and nodded his head over to one of the hallways. Where Carmilla Karnstein was walking past.

“What about Karnstein? I’d give her number one or two.”

“Hell yeah dude. She’s hot.”

Kirsch looked at her, he had never really found her super attractive. He wasn’t blind, yeah she was hot, but her personality was a huge turn-off for him that it actually affected her physical attractiveness. But he wasn’t going to say anything.

“Alex Collins? She’s got a nice body.”

“That is very true, and guess what? I’ve already got dibs.”  Tyler said.

Sam and Tyler argued for a minute as to had called dibs first. They were always arguing about something. Kirsch wondered how they had lasted as best friends as long as they did.

“What’s up Kirsch?” he heard a familiar voice.

He turned to see JP walking towards him.

“Hi JP.”

“You ready for the Quidditch season?”

Kirsch gave him a hard stare. He was always really pissed at JP whenever he brought up Quidditch. He was really good at it and then he just quit because he decided to just because he wanted to focus on other things. Ironically he quit right after coming out of the closet.

“Yeah of course,” Kirsch said. “But your weak ass won’t be out there because it decided to quit and leave us waiting for some actual competition.”

Kirsch said it in a very strict and mean tone of voice and he knew it, but he wasn’t quite sure where it came from.

“Geez dude. Calm down. Just trying to be friendly.”

“Friendly? Please, I don’t care about being friends, I cared about having some good competition.”

Kirsch started getting really angry and he couldn’t figure out why. This guy just wanted to say hi. God, what the hell was wrong with him.

“Whoa dude. This is uncalled for.”

“You think I give two shits? Now excuse me. I need to leave.”

Kirsch left JP wide-eyed and pissed off.

He knew he would need to apologize later. Right now, he just wanted to get away from people and he wished he could run away from these problems.

Kirsch started running as soon as he was away from people and spirited all the way to the Quidditch field.

He remember that he was spiriting just as fast as he was now. Just trying to get away from people. He needed to get away. He had to make it to the Shrieking shack on time.

“Kirsch?”

He skidded to a stop and looked at his watch, then at the sky. Eight minutes.

He wheeled around and saw Danny Lawrence about 10 feet away from him.

“What are you doing? They’re gonna call us in in about 10 minutes.”

“I know, I know. I…. Uh… I was just going for a little run before.” he looked at his watch again. Seven minutes.

“In your robes?” she asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” he was thinking on the fly here. Something he was not good at. “Didn’t really think about changing out of them, but thanks for the tip bro. I’ll remember for next time.”

He turned back to his route to go under through the Whomping Willow, but he couldn’t do that with Danny watching him and he couldn’t just run into the forest. Shit.

“Look bro,” he looked at his watch again. Five minutes. “I really gotta pee, so I’m gonna go over there.” Kirsch pointed towards the woods.

Danny gave him a weird look.

“And?....”

“Well, it’s kind of weird if you’re around when I’m answering the call of nature.”

Danny just gave him an even funnier look.

“Ooookkkaaay. I’m gonna walk away and pretend this never happened.”

“Sure thing D-bear. See ya later.”

He started walking towards the woods and spotted something that resembled a black panther in the trees. He squinted, but whatever it was had disappeared in an instant.

He waited until Danny was out of sight and then spirited down into the tree. Two minutes. He could feel it too. His arm started to go numb and his legs, but he kept pushing. He made it to the end of the tunnel, jumped into the Shrieking Shack, threw his backpack away from him and then started to feel nothing but pain. He crumpled to the floor and blacked out.


	2. The Annoyance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Carmilla's and Laura's first interaction wasn't what you expected, huh? What happens when they have to work together on something?  
> Kirsch is dealing with his issues and seems to see Danny in a different way than his brothers expected.  
> Perry is freaking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about that. I meant to post sooner, but finals week has been kiiiillllllliiinnnnggg me. Anyway, enjoy! Would love to hear your comments and questions!

_ Ch. 2 _

 

**Laura (2)**

Waking up early was not an easy task for Laura. She hated it.

“Let’s go Laura! Gotta get up for class!” Perry ripped the covers off Laura’s bed and Laura whined loudly and proceed to exaggerate it with tosses and turns.

“Just 5 more minutes.” Laura stuffed her pillow and in her face and heard Perry stop scuffling around.

“Laura! Come on! This is not the time to be whining and complaining. It was your choice to stay up late last night talking with JP.”

Laura groaned, lifted her head to look at Perry who started scuffling again, then threw her pillow at Perry which hit her square in the head.

Perry turned around and threw the pillow right at Laura’s face.

“Let’s go!” Perry sang.

Perry was practically her mother and her friend at the same time. As annoying as she could be, Laura didn’t know what she would do without her.

Slowly Laura started getting ready for school. She had new robes, new books and a new school year to start. She pulled her schedule out of her pocket. Potions, her first class. Great.

“What’s your first class?” Laura asked Perry as they both walked out of the common room. The hallways were busy with kids trying to get to class.

“Potions.” Perry said. “What about you?”

“That’s my first class too.” Laura was relieved, at least she would know someone in the class and have a good partner.

“Cool. LaFontaine is in it as well.”

Oop. Nevermind. She would partnerless. Perry and LaFontaine were always partners, they grew up together and had been best friends since they were little. They started dating their third year, when they finally realized how much they were meant for each other.”

“How are they doing?” Laura asked.

“They’re still dealing with their parents and trying to focus on one thing at a time. You know how they are. Can’t focus because there is just too much for them to do.”

“Yeah, LaF loves wizardry. I remember the first day here. How much they couldn’t stop talking about defying the science and trying to mix human science and wizardry. They try to blur the lines between the two, but it’s a very hard concept considering each has their own rules.”

“That’s true,” Laura replied, but had no clue what Perry was talking about. “They’ve always had a lot of fun in potions even though they’re not the greatest at it.”

“Did someone say Potions?”

Danny was running up towards them.

“Yeah,” Laura replied. “It’s our first class.”

“Really? Because that’s my first class too!” Danny said excitedly.

Laura got excited too. She and Danny could be partners- potions partners, potion buddies… Jeez, she had to get control of her thoughts. Laura had always had a crush on Danny since their first year when Danny saved her from embarrassment in front of the whole school.

Her first Quidditch game, she fell over the side onto the field because some big guy had accidentally knocked her over. Everyone saw it and was watching as she struggled to pull herself up. That’s when she heard her robes start to tear. It was caught on something. 

Either way moving up or down she would tear it and the whole school would see her nice pink puppy underwear which she only wore because she didn’t have anything else.

She had no clue what to do until Danny came over and asked, “You okay? Can you pull yourself up?”

“Uhhh…” Laura said. “I could but, my robe is caught on something and will rip if I move.”

“You can just replace it.” Danny suggested.

“Uhhh…” Laura kept her weight over the side so she wouldn’t fall. “I could, but that’s not why.”

“Why won’t you move then?” Danny asked and Laura felt like she was being stupid.

“I don’t really feel like having the whole school see me in my underwear.”

Danny laughed.

“Ahhh. I got it. Hold on a minute, I’ll help.” Danny swung her legs over the side and reached down towards Laura.

By this time everyone was watching her, wondering what was happening.

“Where is it caught?”

Laura used her head to point to the area near her hips, where her robe was caught.

“Okay,” Danny said. “I’ve got it.”

Laura didn’t realize how tall Danny was until she reached down with ease and unhooked her robe.

“Need help up now?” Danny asked.

“I’m good,” Laura pulled herself up and landed on both feet on the platform. Everyone stopped staring once she was okay. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I’m Danny by the way.” She held out her hand.

“Laura. Laura Hollis.” she smiled her geeky smile and then realized that she was smiling that way and toned it down a bit.

“Laura? Did you hear me?” Danny asked her.

“Huh?” Laura looked around and realized that she was still walking to Potions with Danny and Perry. LaFontaine had joined them sometime along the way.

“Uh no. Sorry. What did you say?”

“Daydreaming, huh?” Danny asked and Laura couldn’t help but stare into Danny’s nice blue eyes. “I asked if you wanted to partner up for Potions?”

“Yeah,” Laura hesitantly tore her eyes away from those her eyes. “Of course!”

“And Perry and I will be partners!” LaFontaine said. “This’ll be great!”

They had just walked into the classroom as LaFontaine said ‘great’ and it was more dark and gloomy than usual from some reason. Or was it just Laura?

Danny grabbed Laura’s hand and she blushed hoping Danny wouldn’t notice. Danny pulled her towards a table right next to Perry and LaF.

Laura looked around the room. The dungeons were always dark and she never got used to it.

She heard the door slam closed and her head snapped towards it.

“Good morning class,” said the man that had just walked in. “I’m Professor Gunther and I am your potions teacher for this semester. If you are all lucky, you will never have me again.” 

Laura didn’t know if it was supposed to be a joke because he wasn’t smiling and no one laughed.

“I hope you’re all happy with the people you’re sitting next you,” Gunther smiled. “Because they will NOT be your partners for this class.”

The whole class groaned.

Laura got really disappointed. She hadn’t had a good class with Danny since their second year. Even then, LaFontaine insisted that she partner with them leaving Laura unable to be partners with Danny.

Laura crossed her fingers behind her back hoping that she would be partnered with Danny. She knew it was silly, but if there was a small chance it would work, she would do it.

“Tyler Remington and Harvey Long.”

The twos boys looked at each other and Laura could tell that they had never met before. That would be interesting.

“Susan LaFontaine and Lola Perry.”

Laura heard them both squeal with silent joy. Of course those two were together, somehow they always ended up partnered together. Laura guessed that LaFontaine had some in with the professor or some weird magic up her sleeve.

“Danny Lawrence and Wilson Kirsch.”

Danny made a gagging face then looked around. Laura realized that Kirsch was not in class. Where was he? As ignorant and immature as he was, he always did his best to make it to class and make it on time. Last year, Laura always walked with Kirsch to Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology, and they were always three to five minutes early.

Where was he?

“I see that Mr. Kirsch is not with us. Not a good first impression.” 

Laura saw his quill on the desk make a mark on his paper. It did not look like it was a good mark and this was not good for Kirsch. He already struggled in class, he didn’t need the teacher to make it harder for him.

“Heather Yu and Alex Opsen.”

The girl high-fived the guy across from her. They weren’t each other's first choices, but they knew each other.

Laura looked around the room to see if she knew anyone else in the class. Tyler, Alex (not the one that was just partnered) and.... that was it.

“Laur-”

The door swung open and everyone turned towards it.

“Professor Ludwig,” Gunther said. “I see you brought our missing student.”

Kirsch walked out from behind Professor Ludwig. He was a mess and he did not look good. He eyes were slightly red with dark circles around them and his hair and robes were a mess, but it looked like he tried fix it seconds before he came in.

“He was with me. Please excuse his tardiness.”

“Of course,” Gunther’s quill made another mark on his paper. “Thank you. Mr. Kirsch please talk your seat with Miss Lawrence as you are her partner for this semester.”

Kirsch went from look tired, to looking tired and extremely terrified. And from how Danny was to most of the Zeta bros, I would be too. He slowly walked over to his seat and all eyes were on him.

Laura thought that he looked really messed up. She wondered if something had happened or if he had just been running late and didn’t have time to straighten himself up.

“Class, eyes forward please.” Gunther announced loudly.

Laura didn’t even realize that she had been staring at Kirsch. She quickly tore her eyes away and looked forward. Before Gunther was interrupted, he was about to tell Laura who her partner was.

“Ok, let’s continue.”

Laura crossed her fingers harder to at least get someone good, someone she knew. She would totally take Alex as her partner. 

Please, please, please, Laura begged.

“Laura Hollis and-”

Laura sucked in her breath.

“Carmilla Karnstein.”

Laura let her breath out. She turned to see Carmilla in the very back corner of the glass, sitting with her feet up on the table.

Her opinion of Carmilla was mostly made up of what she had heard from everyone else. She wasn’t sure if she was going to be a good partner, but from what she heard..

Laura knew then that she would probably be doing most of the work, but maybe, if she tried to be nice and become friends, she could get her to do her part and help out. Maybe, she wasn’t what her reputation was. And if she was what her reputation was, then Laura could just go with it and get through the semester.

Laura sighed. As much as she wanted to dislike Slytherins she knew that her opinion of them was only made of second-hand stories. She needed to change that. If she was the opposite of what people talked about then it wouldn’t be a problem. If the things she heard were true, she would try and find this girl’s soft spot. She couldn’t help it. After All, she was a Hufflepuff.

 

**Kirsch**

The sunlight light hit his eyes.

He opened them and closed them, blinking to get used to the light. Kirsch thought that it was unusually more bright than usual, but if felt like that every time he woke up.

He stretched out, soreness reaching every part of his body. He was so tired, he just wanted to curl up and fall into a normal sleep. He closed his eyes, starting to feel the tiredness wash over him, but then he heard the clock.

One… Two… Three.. Four… Five… Six… Seven….. Eight?

It was already eight? Oh shit, Kirsch knew that he was running late for class. He scrambled to his feet, the scraps that remained of his robes fell to the ground. He picked them up and tried to cover himself best he could.

It was a good thing he always carried extra clothes on these days. He hadn’t had time to take them off before…

Kirsch looked around. Where the hell was he? He hated this part of the morning. Out of all the things to wake up to; soreness, nakedness, tiredness, he absolutely hated not knowing where he was. Then he saw his tracks from last night followed by panther footprints. So he did see a panther last night. But it couldn’t have been a panther. Kirsch shook his head. Must be something else that resembled them and Kirsch thought that he might’ve played with it last night. Either that or it was dead. He tried to look at the positive side though.

He started following the prints through the forest and up the hill. This one of the lucky times where his trial actually led outside the forest. Often, he would go in circles before finding the way out.

The sun became brighter and he put his arm up to shadow it away. The Shrieking Shack was visible and he started running towards it. 

Kirsch quickly tossed on his robes, tired to neaten his hair (which never really worked) and sprinted out the door, past the Whomping Willow and straight into Professor Ludwig. Kirsch stumbled backwards, catching his footing before he fell to the ground.

“Kirsch,” he said. “How was your night?”

Professor Ludwig was practically the deputy headmaster and the only one who knew Kirsch’s secret. Kirsch trusted him and got a lot of support and help from him.

Ludwig’s son was bitten when he was eight, and he ended up being killed by someone who was defending themselves when he was sixteen. So, he had a soft spot for Kirsch.

“I think it was okay, sir. I can never be sure.” Kirsch tried to brush himself off some more.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You can’t really do much more. Come on. I’ll take you to class.” 

Ludwig started walking and Kirsch had to run to catch up.

“There’s something that can help you,” he stopped at the door. “It won’t prevent you from transforming, but it will allow you to control your actions during the night. Unfortunately, I, myself, cannot help you with it.”

Kirsch froze up. He knew that this would probably entail talking about his condition with someone else and he did not feel comfortable with that at all.

“Professor Gunther,” Ludwig said quietly. “He’s actually your professor for the class you're about to go. He can make it. I know how much you don’t like talking about it with anyone, but I promise that this will make you more comfortable, especially knowing what you’re doing.”

Kirsch shifted uncomfortably.

“If you do this,” Ludwig put his hand on his shoulder. “It will make your life easier and it’ll help keep you at this school. So, I highly encourage that you do this. Talk to him after class, I know you have some free time afterwards.”

Kirsch nodded. He couldn’t speak. He didn’t want to tell anyone else, he didn’t want to explain his story. 

Ludwig opened the door and started walking again. The rest of the walk was silent and Kirsch wasn’t about to break it.

Kirsch didn’t pay attention to where they were going. His thoughts wandered elsewhere about talking to Professor Gunther. Could he? He didn’t know. Should he? Yes. Would he? That was the real question.

The benefits would be amazing and he would love to be in control and aware of what was going on, but would rumor spread? He had a close call his third year and a close call with Danny last night. 

Kirsch almost ran into Professor Ludwig not realizing that he had stopped. He swung the door open like a beast and everyone stopped to look.

“Professor Ludwig, I see you brought our missing student.”

Professor Ludwig unobviously motioned for Kirsch to move forward, and he did so hesitantly. He felt all eyes on him and felt very self-conscious about how he looked because he knew that he was a mess.

“He was with me. Please excuse his tardiness.” Ludwig said with a tone of authority and Kirsch was glad to have this guy on his side. He was almost like a bro, but older.

“Of course, Thank you,” Professor Gunther looked very annoyed and Kirsch didn’t like it. He knew some teachers didn’t like him, but he didn’t like the look Gunther was giving him. “Mr. Kirsch please talk your seat with Miss Lawrence as you are her partner for this semester.”

Oh no, bro. Not good. Kirsch looked at the empty seat next to Danny.

Sure Kirsch thought Danny was pretty cool like bro-like underneath her dislike for his friends. But he never wanted to be near her. She was hot and nice around other people, but not around him and his buddies. She would definitely harass him all year long.

Then Kirsch had a thought. He’ll just harass her back. Yeah. He would’ve never done or thought of this before, but now that they would be spending a lot of time together. He would do something about it.

“Class, eyes forward please.” Gunther said very intimidatingly. Did Kirsch really want to approach this teacher about his problems? He didn’t seem very empathetic.

Kirsch finally took a breath as he felt all eyes leave him.

“Ok, let’s continue.”

Kirsch didn’t realize that he was gripping his seat so hard, he was leaving cutting off his circulation to his fingers, but Kirsch didn’t want to let go.

Gunther announced the rest of the partners. Laura was partnered with Carmilla Karnstein, and Kirsch felt very protective of her. Laura was like a sister to him. Her first kiss was his first kiss. Although, they sort of agreed it half-counted because it wasn’t very long.

Carmilla Karnstein did not have a good rep around school. She had messed with some of his bros and he was never cool with anyone who messed with his bros. And her demeanor was very uncool and offsetting. He didn’t like it, but if anyone could work with her, it was Laura.

Kirsch knew that she was very capable of taking care of herself and he felt a little more comfortable knowing that, but he still didn’t like the two being partnered together for the rest of the year.

Kirsch turned towards Danny. A new attitude and a new approach.

“Sup’ D-Bear?”

Danny glared at him.

“Don’t ever call me that again.” she said and he was scared for a moment, but then remembered his promise to himself.

“Why not D? It’s such a cute nickname.”

Danny looked like she could’ve killed him here and there. But she also looked really surprised that he was saying things back.

“Alright.  _ Wilson _ ,” she exaggerated. “You want to play this game?”

Kirsch looked offended. No one ever called him Wilson. He didn’t hate the name, he just very much preferred being called Kirsch as it was much cooler.

“Whoa, bro,” Kirsch held up his hands. “No need to break out that name. Alright, it’s not cool. Not cool at all.”

“Whatever,  _ brah _ .”

“Hey, hey,” Kirsch stared at her in a serious manner. “It’s bro, not brah. Brah is not cool. It’s always bro and only a bro can say bro.”

“Mmm-Hmmm…” she muttered and opened her book to the page the Professor Gunther had just written on the board.

Kirsch thought that this could be fun. Sure they didn’t like each, but maybe, just maybe they could be low-key friends.

After what felt like hours in that dungeon, class finally ended. He packed up things and headed towards the door. He had Herbology with Laura not next period, but the period after that. He thought she would be waiting for him, but he watched as Laura seemed to be chasing Carmilla Karnstein out the door.

He still did not like that girl or want her to be associated with Laura, but he didn’t have much choice.

He walked up the steps with Tyler, but something kept bothering him. He knew exactly what it was. Should he?

Kirsch stopped in his tracks. Tyler kept walking and after a second realized that Kirsch had stopped.

“You good Kirsch?”

What did he want? What should he do? Gosh, why was this such a hard decision for him to make? 

“Come on, bro make a decision.” he muttered under his breath.

“Huh?” Tyler asked.

“Ummm… Yeah. I’m good. I just realized I forgot something back in Professor Gunther’s classroom. I’ll see you later.”

Kirsch turned and hurried down the steps before Tyler could ask and before he changed his mind.

Suddenly the dungeon seemed darker and heavier than before. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like Professor Gunther.

When he opened the door, it made a slow creaking sound and Kirsch felt like he was in the beginning of a horror film and he would be attacked by something nasty or someone crazy. That would totally not be fun.

Kirsch walked in the door and the room was empty and all he could hear was the sounds of bubbling potions.

“Uhhh… Hello? Professor Gunther?”

There was still silence and just as he was about to turn back and leave-

“Wilson Kirsch,” Kirsch jumped and saw Gunther behind him studying some sort of liquid in his brewing pot. “What a surprise. What do you need?”

His voice still sounded like he hated everyone in the world and it did not help reassure Kirsch’s decision to come back down.

“Sir,” he gulped. “I need help.”

Gunther still didn’t look up from his brewing pot, and nodded at Kirsch.

“Sir, it’s sort of a personal issu-”

“Wilson, I do not do well with personal issues and issues that have to do with one’s life. Potions, I can help with. Personal problems. Go talk to a muggle therapist.”

Kirsch looked around nervously and he his brain told him to get himself out of there, but his legs wouldn’t move. It was too late now anyways.

“It has to do with Potions and my personal issues…”

Gunther finally looked up at Kirsch.

“I think I may know what you’re talking about. Professor Ludwig told me about you, but I have to be sure because information is very sensitive these days.”

Kirsch relaxed a little. Ludwig had already talked to him about himself without mentioning his name.

“So, if I’m going to help you. You’re going to have to outline this issue for me in full detail. I promised Professor Ludwig that his information would be well protected.”

“Sir,” Kirsch licked his lips. “I’m having a werewolf problem.”

“I see… You need something to keep them away?”

Kirsch almost laughed. Gunther was good. Kirsch didn’t like him, but he had earned just a little bit of his trust. Enough to tell him. 

“Sir,” Kirsch faltered. He had only ever said it once out loud and that was to Professor Ludwig. He knew that he would have to say it again. “Sir, I’m not needing to keep them away. I’m the problem. I’m a werewolf.”

There he said. For the second time in his life.

He was a werewolf.

 

**Carmilla**

She might’ve hated having potions as a class, but she liked where it was located. Deep down, away from everyone and everything. She wished that her room in Slytherin was like that. The dormitory was in the dungeons, but not far enough away from other people.

She took a seat in the very back, where she could always sit and no one would notice her. For the past four years, she had gotten away with doing everything herself because her class always happened to be an odd number. And she knew no one would be her partner and she would not want to be anyone’s partner.

It was great, but she every once in awhile she would admit to herself that she was a bit lonely. There was only one person who never made her feel that way… Nope. She wouldn’t go there. Not now.

It was better being alone anyways, less people to disappoint and less people to be disappointed by. Also less mental stress because she didn’t have to care about what anyone thought of her and what she thought of other people.

Carmilla’s thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of the dungeon door.

She knew exactly who the teacher was because she had met him when her mom had called her into her office to… discuss something.

“Good morning class,” He had a demeanor much similar to her apathetic self, but his was only an act. “I’m Professor Gunther and I am your potions teacher for this semester. If you are all lucky, you will never have me again.” 

Carmilla let a smirk escape across her face. Yep. She was right.

“I hope you’re all happy with the people you’re sitting next you,” Gunther smiled and she knew it would not be good because she saw that same smile in her mother right before some bad news was delivered. “Because they will NOT be your partners for this class.”

Oh no. Carmilla looked around the room and counted the number of kids in the class. Twenty-one. The odds were in her favor, but knowing Gunther, she would probably end up with one.

If she was lucky she could get someone quite, a Ravenclaw who would do all the work. If she was lucky. If she was unlucky she could get someone like Danny Lawrence.

Carmilla knew she couldn’t do anything about it, even if she asked her mom, her mom wouldn’t do anything especially knowing it was something Carmilla hated.

“Tyler Remington…” Carmilla droned out Gunther’s voice, pulled out On the Road by Jack Kerouac and shifted into a comfortable position with her feet on the desk.

The book itself was insignificant. However she did admire Jack Kerouac. He was crazy, but there was something to his craziness that Carmilla found comforting. Kerouac was described as never seeming quite comfortable in this world, or his place in it, and that was something Carmilla could relate too.

She re-read her favorite quote every time she pulled it out.

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars, and in the middle, you see the blue center-light pop, and everybody goes “ahhh.”” she muttered it under her breath in awe of his words.

Carmilla didn’t know exactly what it was about the quote that made her like it because it described the exact opposite of her. Sure, We’re might’ve all a little mad. We all are whether we know it or not, or are willing to admit it or not. 

It did describe something wonderful, and she felt like she used to be the fabulous Roman candle until it was snuffed out years ago….

Carmilla heard the door open but was too wrapped up in her book and her own thoughts to even look at the door. If it was a late student, that would be twenty-two. Just perfect.

Her candle wasn’t entirely snuffed out. Will was an example of that. And…

Carmilla shook her head and looked up to see that the puppy dog, Kirsch had arrived to class late. Carmilla looked at her watch. And she knew exactly why. 

She returned to her book, but wasn’t really reading it as she was deep in thought about Kerouac and how amazingly crazy he was.

“... Carmilla Karnstein.”

She heard the professor’s voice call her name and looked up immediately to see all eyes in the class on her. Crap, she didn’t hear who her partner was.

After he finished announcing the partners, Gunther dismissed them to start talking with each other about working together and their schedules. He said that he would begin lessons first thing tomorrow and that we should be prepared.

Carmilla looked up at the board for the homework and grumbled at the hundred page long read they had to do.

“Whatcha grumbling about?” she heard to voice way too perky for her ears say.

Carmilla turned and saw the same girl that she had been partnered with for escorting the newbies around. Laura Hollis.

*Nothing.” Carmilla sighed and returned to reading her book.

Carmilla was very aware the Laura was still standing there like she was waiting for her to say something or do something or perform a flip.

“Ummm…” Laura said.

“What do you want cupcake?” Carmilla said tearing her eyes from her book and directing them at Laura.

“Did you not hear? We’re partners.”

What? Carmilla hid the shock on her face. Of all the people in the world, in the class, she had to get the perky, happy Hufflepuff. Great.

“Awesome,” Carmilla said putting a great amount of sarcasm in it. “Partners.”

She didn’t move and just went back to reading her book. She did not want to deal with this right now. She just wished that she could’ve been own her own, doing her own thing, like she usually did. Now all she would have to do is get through this class everyday with little effort of being a ‘teammate’.

“You mind moving over a bit so I can sit down?” Laura asked as she gestured to Carmilla’s legs which were taking up almost the whole table.

Carmilla sighed and moved her legs to be in front of her instead of one the other side of the table.

Laura plopped in her seat and looked over to where Danny Lawrence and Puppy dog were. Carmilla scoffed, rolled her eyes and then continued with her book.

“What?” Laura asked unaware that Carmilla had seen her staring.

“Nothing.” Carmilla replied not looking up from her book.

She could feel Laura’s glare without having to look at her. She sure was a small bundle of emotions and Carmilla knew that she went back to staring at them.

“If it makes you feel better cupcake, those two don’t get along very well and will probably kill each other before the semester ends.”

“Huh?” Laura turned and Carmilla looked at her to see her face blushing red.

Great. She had a love sick bunny for a partner.

“What do you mean?” Laura demanded.

“Nothing.” Carmilla repeated.

Carmilla could tell that Laura was getting irritated with her, but didn’t care too much for it. Carmilla was already irritated that she had to have a partner.

“Look, can we just get started on this thing?” Laura asked.

“Started with what?” Now Carmilla was just staring at her book instead of reading it because the damn bunny wouldn’t leave her alone.

“What’s your schedule? What’s your phone number? When is your free time? Are you going to actually show up to class everyday?”

“Sounds like you’re trying to ask me out on a date, no wonder you wanted to be partnered with Xena. You would’ve gotten enough info to either stalk her or finally know when to date her.”

Laura blushed even harder than the first time.

“First off, I’m not trying to date Danny,” Laura started and Carmilla scoffed again. “Second what is your problem? I’m just trying to get this thing done.”

“No problem at all,” Carmilla said carelessly. “You want all that info? Here.”

Carmilla reached out of her bag, grabbed a pen, grabbed Laura’s hand and wrote everything on it.

“Hey!” Laura said then yanked her hand away and the pen flew to the other side of the table. Carmilla had already wrote her phone number and her schedule on Laura’s hand.

“You could’ve put it on a piece of paper.” Laura complained.

Carmilla smirked.

Laura stared her down.

Carmilla returned to her book, but then Laura stood up and snatched it out of her hands. Carmilla was pissed now. She swiftly grabbed Laura’s wrist and slammed it on the table, not hard enough to hurt her, but enough for the book to fall out of her hand and make a point.

“Don’t,” Carmilla started while grabbing the book with her other hand. “EVER do that again. Because I can make your semester a living hell and you couldn’t do anything about it.”

Laura’s face was filled with shock and Carmilla let go of her wrist.

Laura sat back down and started reading the homework, but it was obvious that she was mad and couldn’t focus. It was making Carmilla unable to focus too because she could feel her radiating restlessness. 

That’s one thing she couldn’t stand. When people who were restless, made her restless and shifty.

“I can feel you squirming from here. In fact, I’m pretty the whole room can feel it.” Carmilla sighed.

Laura stood up.

“Look, can we please just promise to get through his semester? Obviously you’re not going to cooperate with me, but can we just get through it.”

The little bunny was losing her nerve. It was quite funny to watch.

“Mmmm-Hmmm…” Carmilla replied. She looked at her watch. Class was almost over.

She stood up and got real close to Laura who tried to back away, but was stopped by the chair. She looked at Laura’s eyes and could see her turned red again. Without looking Carmilla picked up her pencil, sat down and started packing.

She heard Laura let out her breath and almost laughed. What a tweed.

As soon as she heard the bells chiming for 10:00, Carmilla picked up her stuff and headed out the door. 

“Wait!” she heard the bunny yell who was still trying to get her stuff packed. Carmilla didn’t stop walking just slowed down a bit.

Laura ran towards her and was almost out of breath my the time she reached Carmilla on the staircase.

“I-I-” she waited a moment and Carmilla laughed at how tired she was from running a couple of yards. “You need my information.”

Carmilla smiled.

“Don’t need it cupcake, you’ve got mine.”

Carmilla started walking away, but Laura was still on her heels.

“But what if we need to know how our schedules work together now?” Laura insisted.

“Fine,” Carmilla stopped and she felt Laura run into her. She just wanted to be left alone and if all she needed was a damn piece of paper with stuff she didn’t quite care about on it, then whatever.

Laura hurriedly wrote her stuff down a piece of crumpled scrap paper she pulled from her pocket.

“Here. Look good?”

Carmilla didn’t look at it and started walking away a lot faster than the second time.

“Looks good.” she called back.

“You didn’t even look at it!” Laura yelled up the stairs, but Carmilla was already far enough to escape her.

Jesus. She was persistent.

 

**Perry**

Perry loved that LaFontaine was her lab partner, but she knew that she would have to keep them under control and try to prevent bad things from happening by trying to combine certain things. Also, LaF was not the greatest at measurements because they always thought to more or less of something to try and make the potion better, but it often ended up doing something unexpected.

She remembered the first time that she watch LaF in potions. It was a disaster.

It was unpartnered graded potions assignment, but Perry had set-up on the desk right beside LaFontaine.

It was towards the end when things started to go very wrong.

“LaFontaine,” whispered Perry. “Why did you just double your bat wing measurement?”

She heard them giggle.

“I’m hoping that it will make the potion more effective in the fact that the bat’s wing will dissolve less thoroughly and create a chain reaction in which the potion will be able to cure a vampire’s bite more quickly.”

Perry couldn’t figure out their logic.

LaFontaine sighed.

“I’m hoping it will make the potion more absorbable.”

Oh.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Perry said. “You should really stick to the correct measurements so nothing that isn’t supposed to happen, doesn’t happen.”

LaF just shrugged her shoulders and then added a double dose of dragon’s scales.

“LaFontaine, no!” the professor yelled, but it was too late. The dragon’s scales were already in the potion.

LaF stood their looking really confused. Perry watched as the horror on the teacher’s face got bigger and bigger and she started backing away.

“Class, get d-”

_ BOOM _

Their potion exploded before the professor got to finish their sentence.

Smoke was everywhere and Perry felt the stickiness of the potion on her. She froze up. She needed this off her. She needed this off her now. It was very unsanitary and possible dangerous that she had it on her, she did not know what this could do to her.

Then she felt it burn.

Yep. She needed it off. Now.

She grabbed a clean rag from in one of drawers and started rubbing herself off like crazy.

“Class, stay calm,” the professor said. “We’ve got people coming.”

“Ahhhh!” she heard a classmate yell. “It’s burning my skin.”

“Do NOT move!” the professor said again.

“It burns though!” another classmate yelled.

“DO NOT MOVE!” the professor yelled again. “You could make it much worse!”

Perry heard her, but didn’t listen and just kept cleaning herself off. Even after she removed most of it from her skin, she still felt it was there and kept rubbing and rubbing and rubbing.

That day LaFontaine had sent half the class to the infirmary including Perry. The professor said not to rub it off because then the doctors and nurses knew exactly where to treat the wounds. Perry learned the hard way that the potion although not visible anymore, was still there and burning.

She had the worst of it by the end of the day because the nurses thought she was okay until her next class when she was still rubbing and her classmate noticed her skin being burned.

That was a fun day.

After her last class, she and LaF met up by the Hufflepuff common room so they could go to the library together. Perry wasn’t surprised when Laura showed up with them.

She and LaF walked hand-in-hand to the library with Laura behind them in silence. 

That was until Danny showed up.

“Laura!” Danny called and they all turned around.

“Hi, Danny.” Laura said and then slightly blushed.

Perry thought it was obvious the two should be dating, but they didn’t seem to see it because it had been years now since Laura had been crushing on Danny. No matter how many times Perry pointed out that Danny liked her, Laura would insist the opposite and that they were just friends.

Perry tuned the two out because they started bantering and flirting back and forth. As she walked with LaFontaine, she thought of how great their life was. She felt she had everything. A great school, great friends and a great partner.

“I love you.” Perry blurted out.

LaFontaine was surprised by the sudden broken silence, but smiled at the statement.

“I love you, too Perr.” they said as they squeezed their hand.

They arrived at the library and Perry then realized that Danny had broken off and gone to Quidditch practice and that Laura was alone again.

They found a good place near the back of the library next to a window the overlooked the mountains. Perry always thought that they had such beautiful place to go to school.

They all started reading what they were assigned in Potions because it would be easy to discuss as they all had the same class.

They read in silence for a while until Perry noticed that Laura kept looking up from her book to stare at something across the room.

When they made eye contact, Laura quickly put her head back down like she was a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Perry turned her head to see what Laura was looking at. And her hand sure was in the cookie jar, a bad cookie jar.

In the very corner of the library sitting in a dark corner, barely able to see, was Carmilla Karnstein. Aka the headmistress’s daughter and Laura’s lab partner.

She turned back to her potions book, but wondered why Laura kept looking over. Perry shook it off. They were lab partners.

Laura closed her book and got up from her seat.

“I’ll see you guys later. I’m going… to take care of something.”

“Okay,” LaFontaine said not looking up from her book.

Perry didn’t say anything, but she turned her head and saw that Carmilla was gone which couldn’t have been a coincidence or it was and Perry was just over thinking. 

“She’s been strange since Potions.” Perry said.

“Hmmm…” LaFontaine said. “I haven’t noticed. Laura always just been Laura. You might be over-thinking things like you usually do.”

Perry’s head snapped forward.

“I do not “overthink things” usually.” Perry said defensively.

“Yeah, you do.” They replied.

“Okay,” Perry sighed. “Maybe I do, but it’s always for a good reason.”

“Okay babe, whatever you say.” They said still looking at their book.

Perry started at her and pulled her chair closer to them. She noticed that they had a weird stain with a rip, probably from breakfast, on their shirt. Perry whipped out her wand.

“Reparo,” Perry whispered. The stain disappeared and the rip fixed itself.

“Thank you.” They muttered.

Perry just sat there for her mind blank because she need a mental break. She often needed these because ever since she came her, she still couldn’t wrap her head around the magic of everything. When was little, everything made sense to her. Science and everything, but now, she thought her head would explode because she couldn’t understand magic.

“Perry!” JP yelled from across the library and a wave of shushes followed him.

JP ran at a hurried pace. It did not seem like a comforting approach.

“JP?” Perry asked warily.

“Perry there’s a problem,” JP took in a breath. “Someone raided your room, things are all over the place.”

“What?” Perry stood up quickly. “When?”

“Not sure, we all just got back and your things are thrown everywhere. Whoever it was, was looking for something and by the looks of things, they didn’t find it.”

What could possible someone want to take from her? 

Unless…

“I need to go check my room.” Perry said to LaFontaine who was also on her feet.

“I’m coming.” They stated.

“You can, but you know that you can’t come into the common room.” JP stated.

“So?” LaFontaine said very offended.

“So nothing?” JP offered and smiled.

“Exactly.” they said.

Perry didn’t have time to deal with their bickering right now. She grabbed her bag and raced out the door with JP and LaF on her heels.

If they took it… Perry’s thoughts got dark. No. It would be fine. Everything would be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another post will come next week! Thanks for reading!


	3. Who We Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone. I've been really busy with classes and finals and such. School sucks.

_ Ch 3 _

 

**Danny (3)**

The clock was winding down during her last class and as soon as class ended, she got out of there and headed towards the Quidditch field.

Quidditch practice was her favorite part of the day, and she was really pumped for the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw on Saturday. She was so ready to crush them.

She was walking out of class and saw Laura on her way to the library tagging along behind Perry and LaFontaine who were holding hands.

“Laura!” Danny called. Why did she call out to her? She had practice to get to. Ugh. Stupid, Danny. Now you’ll probably be late, but it was too late to not talk to Laura. Besides, she’d just miss a few minutes of practice and it was okay.

She ran to catch up.

“Hey Danny.” Laura said coolly.

Danny lagged behind putting a bit more distance between them and Perry and LaFontaine.

“You going to Quidditch?” Laura asked.

“Yeah,” Danny sighed. “You going to the game on Saturday?”

“Of course,” Laura giggled. “Wouldn’t want to miss watching my favorite player on the field.”

“And who would that be?” Danny teased.

“Hmmm… She’s the coolest player on the team, really, really good and probably is the best looking one out on the field.” Laura replied and Danny almost tripped over herself. Did Laura just call her the best looking player on the field?

Danny laughed nervously.

“Thanks.”

Danny didn’t know what the heck was happening. Did Laura? Laura, small, quiet, Laura just flirt with her?

“And maybe if I’m lucky enough, I’ll see her after the game for an autograph.”

Danny laughed sincerely now.

“Maybe she’ll have enough time to give you one.”

“Cool,” Laura said. “I look forward to seeing the game... and my favorite player.”

“Okay,” Danny said starting to walk in the opposite direction to practice. “I hope my favorite fan shows up and I’ll know because she’ll be the hottest one out there.”

What the hell did she just say? Oh boy.

Danny didn’t bother to turn to see Laura’s reaction. Her face felt really red. She was suddenly really nervous about the game on Saturday. First game of the year and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she lost against Ravenclaw.

Her pace quickened as she tried to get to practice on time. She needed to get the team going and ready for this match.

“What’s with the red face?” Jonathan asked when she entered onto the field.

Was she still red?

“Nothing, just a little hot. I ran to get here on time.”

“Yeah, hot you are.”

Danny whipped around and smacked the person it came from.

“Shit!” Kirsch yelled. “God, bro, I was just kidding.”

“What the hell are you doing here Kirsch?”

He was rubbing his arm. She hit him pretty hard because her hand hurt pretty badly.

“I was going to ask if you could help me with Potions so both you and I don’t fail that class, but I think I’ll go ask Laura.”

Danny rolled her eyes.

“Why ask me in the first place? We’re not even friends.”

“Because you’re my partner and if I screw up, which I probably will, I would like for you not to get mad at me because I had bad help. So when I do screw up, at least you will know that you tried to help or something.”

“Fine, but Potions isn’t exactly my strongest class ever.” Danny said.

“Can you still help.?” Kirsch asked.

Danny pretended to look offended.

“Yes. I’ll help you. Tonight in the library.”

“Awesome. Thanks, bro. Sorry, for interrupting your practice time. I’ll see you tonight!” Kirsch called as he started to walk away.

“Not looking forward to it!” Danny called back.

Her smirk was still on her face when she mounted her broom. Man, Kirsch was a big puppy sometimes and you couldn’t help but like the guy. Danny shook her head. She was supposed to hate him and his stupid Zeta bros. They always caused trouble for her and her team. Especially at games.

She remembered the first time she felt truly annoyed by them. Her first year, they were always just loud and obnoxious, but during her second year, they did things to actually throw her game off and she had to adapt every game to get around it.

It was the third game she had played in her second year. Kirsch was a part of the club by that point after quitting his second year.

They were up by 30 points and their team captain, Collin, was on the verge of catching the snitch. All they had to do was keep Hufflepuff from scoring.

That game the Zetas thought it would be a good idea of use fire to show their support. Of course they had it under control in the beginning and the players consciously avoided it, but then they started to get rowdy.

They made small things at first, like giant letters that said “Gryffindor” or “GO Lions”. But then they wanted to be more creative and started moving things across the field.

Kirsch and a few of his buddies created a lion that would run the entire length of the outside of the field and it was fine… Until the snitch flew straight outside the field.

Collin followed without hesitation and was close to grabbing it until he came into contact with the fire lion and he went down with flames all over him and his broom.

She was so pissed that day because after that, the Hufflepuff seeker snatched the snitch and the game was over. Ever since that game, she constantly yells at the Zetas to keep their “spirit” to a minimum. Why is it that out of all the schools in the world, the one school where you’re basically already sorted has it’s own “frat”. Some of them didn’t even live together. The mixture of houses was kind of weird too.

Danny’s thoughts on that stopped as soon as she was tossed the Quaffle. It was time to focus on practice.

“Lawrence!” her seeker Blithe yelled from the ground. She was late. Why was she late?

She zoomed down towards the ground and smoothly jumped off her broom and onto the grass.

“Blithe. Why are you late?” Danny asked half annoyed, half concerned.

“Ummm… Well,” Blithe looked down at the ground. “I know I’m late, but that’s not the big issue here. You see… Jonathan can’t play in the next game and..”

Her voice dropped off. She didn’t want to tell Danny something, but Danny wanted to know.

“Blithe,” she said slowly and commandingly. “Tell me what it is. We’re already down a player. How much worse can it get?”

She looked up at Danny with a look of terror. Of course it could get worse, what else was new?

“Arc is in the locker room throwing a fit, threatening to quit because he says he’s feeling like you’re all ignoring him and not letting him have a chance with the Quaffle.”

Danny rolled her eyes.

“He’s a beater, not a chaser. What the hell is he talking about?”

“You remember that he originally tried out to be a chaser? He’s going mental. I don’t know why. And we all know that he will quit if he doesn’t get what he wants.”

“God,” Danny yelled. “The game is this weekend! WHY am I dealing with this now?”

She was pissed now. Arc was one big baby, who always whined and cried when he didn’t get what he wanted. And if he was gonna act that way, she was going to treat him that way.

She stalked towards the Gryffindor locker room. It wasn’t a real locker room, they didn’t change in there, it was more a team room. Gold and red everywhere.

“ARC!” Danny yelled.

“What?!” he yelled back sounding exasperated and tired.

Danny turned the corner and found him hunched over on the futon. He looked really sweaty and really pale. That was not good.

“Omigod,” she ran over to him. “Are you okay?”

“Not really.”

“What happened?”

“The Zetas happened. They tried to do some kind of jinx on me that was supposed to make me pumped-up and excited for the game, but it did the exact opposite. I seriously wanted to quit for the past couple minutes. Now, I’m feeling real sick right now.”

“The Zetas?” Danny asked angrily.

“Yup,” he suddenly hunched over more and threw up all over the ground.

Danny jumped back.

“Let’s get you to the infirmary. I’m going to take care of those damn Zetas.”

 

**Perry**

She didn’t realize she was running until she reached the common room entrance and was almost out of breath.

She placed her hand on the pear and wiggled her hands as if she were tickling it.

She swore that she heard a small laugh every time she tried to open it.

The door swung open and she was in the room even before the door was finished opening.

“Perry!” she heard JP call.

She ran to her room and found her bed and drawers in shambles.

“Augh! I just cleaned this and it was perfect!” she said frustrated.

JP had finally caught up with her.

“Don’t worry about it. Look, I’ll help you clean it up.”

Perry nodded but started looking around her area. There wasn’t anytime missing, not even her valuables. She swiftly stepped over the debris on the floor and opened her truck which had been made a mess of.

It was still there. She pulled out a necklace with a sapphire diamond in the middle of it surrounded by silver and the chain had embedded diamonds.

“Whoa,” JP said. “What is that?”

Perry turned to him and saw how wide and surprised his face was.

“It’s magical,” Perry said. “My mom gave it to me. It enhances the most dominant part about a person. For me, it really brings out my OCD and my need to be cleanly. LaF wore it once and it brang out her curiosity. In the wrong hands, this could be very bad because there’s a way to tamper with it so that the wearer is unaffected, but everyone within a five mile radius is affected.”

“Yeah I can’t imagine if someone in Slytherin got a hold of it.”

“Exactly. If you’re personality is dominated by evil, cunning, selfishness, anything like that, it can get really bad. The catch to this is, is that the long you keep it on, the more and more worse it dominates and becomes. Also, you could use it to bring out the worst in people.”

“Why would your mom give it to you if it can be that bad?”

“To protect it and it’s a family heirloom. She told me to take care of it, but never wear it unless I ever need to, what she meant by that, I don’t know. Why would she want me to wear it if it only brings out something I’m not too fond about either?”

JP shrugged.

“But now the real question is, if that’s safe, who and why did they trash your area?”

Perry was just happy her necklace was still safe. She started cleaning up and JP silently helped her.

She opened her drawer to put a scarf away and yelped.

“What?” JP asked. He rushed over to her to see what had startled her.

Snakes. There were three snakes in her drawer with three dead mice. She hated snakes, they were slimy and scary.

“What the hell?” JP yelled.

“It was a prank,” Perry said while slowly backing away from the drawer. “It was all a stupid prank.”

“Why would they do this to you?” JP asked.

Perry shook her head. There were a couple of Slytherins that had been harassing her for the longest time. Why? She didn’t know. Perhaps they thought she was an easy target.

“Can you please just get rid of them?” Perry pleaded.

JP nodded and grabbed a random box in the dorm.

“ _ Wingardium Leviosa!”  _ JP said and lifted all the snakes into the box and sealed it up.

Perry didn’t say a word as she continued to clean. She thought about Hogwarts while she cleaned. It was cool and everything, but sometimes Perry wished that she never knew about it, never heard of it or magic and just lived a normal life. Sometimes, she wished she could be normal even though she could think of hundreds of Muggles that would gladly take her place.

Perry got lost in her thoughts and forgot that JP was still helping her clean up.

“I’ll just take these to Professor Tutsir,” JP said. “He’ll know what to do with them.”

Perry nodded, still not saying anything and heard as JP left the dormitory. 

She imagined what her life would be like right now if she wasn’t here. She’d be at normal high school with normal kids, doing normal everyday things. But she wouldn’t have LaFontaine, or Laura, or JP. The important people in her life, the people who knew her and understood her. But, she could probably find people like that in her normal life… Right?

She would never know. And to be honest, when it came to her friends, she couldn’t ask for anyone better. She knew that she would never find someone like them no matter what world she lived in, but she couldn’t help but wonder.

She blinked and then realized that she’d been scrubbing the same spot for the last 5 minutes trying to scrub off a scratch in her bedpost. You can’t scrub off a scratch.

Perry sighed and moved on with her cleaning until she felt everything was spotless.

She looked across the room and spotted Laura’s bed all wrinkled and messed up. She immediately walked over and started fixing it without hesitation.

“Perry?” 

Perry whirled around and saw Laura walking towards her.

“Whatcha doing?” she asked.

Perry blushed.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help it. I’m a little fidgety right now and you’re area looked like it needed cleaning up. I hope you don’t mind.”

Laura smiled.

“Don’t worry about it. It looks amazingly clean.”

“Thank you.”

Perry looked at Laura’s face and knew that she was bursting to ask a question about something. LaFontaine probably told Laura how she had rushed off in a big hurry.

“So…,” Laura said. “I talked to LaF outside. She’s worried.”

Yep. There it was. Perry offered a small smile.

“Everything’s fine,” Perry then thought that she should probably let LaFontaine know that she was fine. “In fact I should probably tell her about it. It was just a prank. Nothing major.”

Perry realized that she was playing it off too much.

Laura grabbed her hand as she tried to head out the door. It wasn’t weird. It was in a comforting way. There was something up with her though and Perry was too wrapped up in herself to realize when she first walked in.

“You know that we’re here, right?” Laura said reassuringly.

“Yeah, of course.” Perry smiled and couldn’t help but feel a little more comforted. Laura had that effect on most people. She was so small and cute, you couldn’t help but want to be her friend. Either that, or you wanted to straggle her for looking so happy all the time. But right now, she looked as if she was hiding something behind her smile. She usually tried to hide everything with a smile, but sometimes it was too hard for her too. This was not the case though.

Perry looked at Laura’s hand and saw marker written all over it.

“Danny finally looking to ask you out?” Perry guessed.

Laura looked shocked and then looked at her hand. Perry must’ve guessed it because she was starting to blush a little bit.

“Ummm…” Laura slowly pulled her hand away and spoke with a little distaste in her voice. “No. That’s not Danny’s number. My lab partner, Carmilla decided to use a marker and my hand for her information instead of a pen and paper. In fact, I should probably write it down and wash it off.”

Laura turned her head away so Perry couldn’t see her expression, but there was something going on with Laura and she couldn’t figure it out.

“Alright, you should be careful with her” Perry said. “I’m going to go talk to LaF and tell her everything.”

Laura turned back around and smiled.

“If you need anything, I’ll be here.”

Perry smiled back and walked out the tunnel trying not to think about why Laura was acting so weird. She knew something was up and made a mental note to ask her later and discuss it with LaFontaine.

In the common room and couldn’t help but look around and sigh. The beauty of the light that came through all the windows, the only thing that seemed out of place and even creeped Perry out a little bit was the picture of the founder of Hufflepuff, Helga Hufflepuff smiling and singing above the fireplace. 

Exiting the common room, she saw LaFontaine sitting and waiting for her.

“It’s really annoying how no one but a Hufflepuff can enter your common room.”

Perry smiled.

“It’s the safest common room in Hogwarts and no one has seen it but us. It makes us special compared to the other houses.”

LaFontaine laughed.

“It’s too bad Hufflepuff gets bagged on so much though.”

Perry frowned. She never quite understood why that was. Hufflepuff was unique in it’s own way just like the other houses. Loyalty and kindness are unique characteristics to define someone just like the other houses have. Perry shook her head and decided not to approach the topic. She didn’t feel like having a debate at the moment.

“Did you see Laura on her way in here?”

“Yeah,” they said. “She had a weird look on her face as if she had just won the golden ticket.”

“Hmmmm… I wonder where she came from?”

“Beats me,” LaF said. “I just want to make sure that you are okay. You rushed out in an awful hurry. What happened?”

Perry gave them a fake smile.

“Someone just messed with my room and played a prank on me. Wait…”

Perry realized that no one but a Hufflepuff could’ve entered the common room meaning that it couldn’t have been a Slytherin that had played that prank on her. It had to be another Hufflepuff. But who would do that to her? And why? It made no sense, but Perry wanted to figure it out.

 

**Laura**

After Danny had left, Laura watched Perry and LaFontaine walk smoothly hand-in-hand to the library. She just walked in silence not wanting to disrupt their moment.

She thought about Danny and if they started dating. 

Tall and strong Danny and small, smart Laura. It sounded perfect.

Laura had always had a thing for taller, stronger girls. It was probably because she wasn’t taller herself and wasn’t that physically strong. Her dad always said she was a lot like her mom. Not physically strong, but strong in her heart and her mind.

She barely knew her mom. She died when Laura was seven, but she did remember enough to see her mother as kind, strong, loving. She often missed her, especially growing up with just her dad. She didn’t grow up with a mother figure and had to learn a lot from her peers and the internet, which was never a good thing. Her dad couldn’t help her much because he was very protective of Laura and didn’t quite understand too much about growing up a female.

Laura also wasn’t told about Hogwarts and magic until she got her letter. Her mother was a witch just like Laura and her dad told her about how they’d been dating and were engaged when he found out. He was a bit shocked when she told and showed him. He teared up when Laura approached him with the weird letter and he did his best to explain, but he didn’t know a lot. Laura did a lot of growing up by herself and she often wished her mother had still been around, but she did her best to try and grow up into the image she remembered her mother as.

Laura loved her dad. No matter how protective he was or tried to be. She didn’t get a cell phone until she received her letter and even then it was a small flip phone because her dad was afraid of sending and getting weird pictures and going to weird places on the internet. She bought herself an iPhone with her birthday money when she turned 14. Her dad wasn’t too excited about it, but decided to let it go because she explained to him about growing up and being independent, etc. He was always busy with work anyways. Especially after being promoted to being captain of his precinct. 

She missed him, but knew he was doing all right with the letters she got and phone call every here and there. Cell phone didn’t work within Hogwarts grounds until 2 years ago when the Headmistress let it be because it was becoming very predominant in the Muggle world.

Laura stared out the library window and was always caught by the beauty of their school. She never wished to be anywhere else. She, LaFontaine and Perry opened their potions book and decided to start with that since they all had it together.

Laura opened up her book and started reading. It was some pretty interesting stuff, but it was 100 pages that Laura knew she didn’t need to know it all. She looked up from her book to see LaFontaine clearly invested and interested in the book and Perry just trying to get through it so she could move on with the rest of her homework.

She went back to read, but something caught her attention at the corner of her eye.

She looked up from her book and looked around to see what it was and then realized in the corner of the library she saw Carmilla with her feet up and reading the same book she had been reading in class.

Laura thought that Carmilla was an odd character. She had the reputation of being mean, lazy and careless, but Laura knew that there was something underneath it all. She didn’t know how, she could just feel it. Was it because she was a Hufflepuff? The whole kindness thing? Laura shook her head. That wasn’t it. She was just making things up because she wanted to befriend this girl. Why she did? It just reminded her of when everyone judged her when she came out when she was eleven before she left for Hogwarts.

Her dad was accepting of it, but most people in the neighborhood didn’t like it. She heard that they thought her dad sent her to some sort of boarding school to “straighten” her out. Obviously not true.

Laura looked back down at her book, but couldn’t focus because she kept thinking about her mysterious lab partner. She looked up from her book again to see if she was still there and sure enough, Carmilla’s nose was still buried into her book.

Laura tried to continue reading because she knew LaFontaine would be done reading pretty quick and want to discuss everything, but she still couldn’t focus.

She looked up again and watched as Carmilla smoothly flipped the pages and seemed genuinely interested in the book. Laura then saw Perry suddenly look up from her book to look at Laura. She made eye contact with her and quickly looked down at her book as if nothing had just happened.

Once Laura had felt enough time had passed for Perry to get her head back in her homework, she looked up and saw Carmilla leaving the library.

Laura thought about going to talk to her. What about? Laura pondered this for a minute and decided she needed to ask her something about her schedule and if they could talk about arranging time to work on their lab reports together. Yeah, now was a good time.

Laura closed her book and got up from her seat.  What should she tell LaF and Perry? She was going to talk to her weird, mysterious partner that no one seemed to like. She couldn’t say that.

“Uhhhh… I’ll see you guys later. I’m going… to take care of something.” Laura said quickly. LaFontaine nodded not looking up from her book and murmured something Laura didn’t catch, but Perry’s head shot up and looked at her with suspicion. She didn’t say anything and Laura quickly left before she could.

Laura raced down the aisles to catch up to her and saw as she exited the library. She followed, but then after going through the doors, didn’t see her. It was like she disappeared out of thin air. Where did she go?

“Why you following me cupcake?”

Laura jumped and turned around to see Carmilla behind the her near the doors.

Laura blushed.

“I just wanted to catch you and ask you a few things for Potions.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow.

“The homework was easy. And why didn’t you just come up and ask me in the library instead of constantly looking up at me in between your reading?”

Laura blushed harder.

“You saw me? You didn’t even look up from your book.”

“Yes I saw you. I couldn’t read with someone constantly staring at me every 5 minutes.”

“Sorry,” Laura looked at the ground. “LaFontaine and Perry would’ve asked me questions and stuff if they saw me with you.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. She knew what everyone thought about her.

“Then why come talk to me at all?” She sighed and started walking away.

Oh no. Not a good start. Laura needed to turn this conversation around quickly if she wanted to become friends with this girl. Friends. She didn’t mean to think of it, it just came up. Laura raised her eyebrow at the thought. Friends with Carmilla Karnstein. Laura finally realized why she was so invested in talking to this girl. She wanted to try and be friends. Why? Laura didn’t know, it just felt like something she wanted to do. It seemed impossible, but although her attitude and behavior reflected someone who wanted nothing to do with anyone, Laura felt she actually might want a friend she just was too afraid to show it.

Laura quickened her step, caught up to Carmilla and stepped in front of her to stop her.

Carmilla looked instantly furious.

“What do you want?” she said half complaining, half threatening.

“To talk.” Laura simply said.

“About?” Carmilla crossed her arms.

“Ummm… I was thinking about Potions.”

“You really wanted to come talk to me about Potions?” Carmilla sighed and asked condescendingly like Laura was a child avoiding the truth. She sighed a lot.

Laura knew that she Carmilla was right and she did not want to actually talk to her about Potions.

“No,” Laura replied. Carmilla didn’t move, she wanted an actual answer, but Laura didn’t know what to say. She barely knew why she came to talk to her.

“Well, actually yes,” Laura said. “Since you already read, I want to ask you a few questions just so I don’t mess up when we do our lab.”

Carmilla looked down at the ground and she seemed to be sudeley shaking her head at herself or Laura. Laura didn’t know which one and hoped it was herself.

“Fine,” Carmilla finally said. “Follow me. I can’t focus in there with people staring at me.”

Laura blushed and knew that she said that to make a point towards her.

Hopefully Laura could have a real conversation with her instead of just talking about potions, but she guessed she might be reaching to far for a girl who didn’t want to have to do with anyone. 

 

**LaFontaine**

They hated running. Running was always required such hard work, but when it came to chasing after their girlfriend, they had no problem doing it.

“Perry!” LaFontaine called, but it was too late, she had already entered her common room with JP on her heels.

They slowed to walking and stopped by the entrance catching their breath. They were worried about Perry. What happened to her room? They remembered JP mentioning something about it being trashed. Who would want to trash Perry’s room.

LaFontaine’s mind raced. They wanted to know what was going on.

It wasn’t until JP came out that they did.

“JP,” LaFontaine called. “What’s going on? What’s in the box?”

JP looked sweaty from running around. Yeah, working with Perry made them sweaty too. And their mind wandered off for a moment.

“Snakes,” JP simply said and they went forward to take a look JP opened the book a little and they saw them. “She found snakes in her drawer. Nothing was taken though.”

Snakes? Who would put snakes in her drawer? She thought it might’ve been a Slytherin, but no one but a Hufflepuff could enter the common room so that wasn’t a possibility. It had to be another Hufflepuff, but no Hufflepuff would ever do that sort of thing.

“Awww… They’re so little and cute.” LaFontaine said.

“Your girlfriend didn’t see to think so.” JP laughed.

“Yeah,” LaFontaine said. “She’s not much of an animal person.”

He laughed as he closed the box.

“I’ll see you later LaF.” he said.

“Later,” they responded.

JP walked away with the box of snakes, probably taking them to the Magical Creatures professor to take of them.

They sat back down and sighed as they waited for Perry to come out. They guessed she was probably madly scrubbing away at any dirt she could find and it wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Poor dirt.

They heard footsteps coming towards them and they opened their Potions book pretending to do some homework.

“Hey LaF,” they heard a familiar voice say. “Whatcha up to?”

They looked up and saw Laura standing in front of them. She seemed like she was trying to be too happy like she was hiding something.

“Oh, hey Laura. I’m just waiting for Perry to come out. I don’t know what could be taking her so long.”

Laura smiled at her.

“Everything okay? You want me to tell her you’re out here?”

“Yeah that’d be great and someone trashed her room and I think she’s worried someone stole something.”

Laura’s face scrunched up and LaFontaine almost laughed because it was such a Laura thing to do.

“What do you mean someone trashed her room? No one can get in and out of their except a Hufflepuff and as far as I know, no Hufflepuff would do that.”

“I was thinking the same thing, but I’ll find out when she comes out.”

“Alright,” Laura sighed. “I have to finish my homework. I’ll let her know you’re out here.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Laura entered the Hufflepuff common room and LaFontaine hoped Perry would be out soon. They were getting really worried.

And they wondered about Laura. Perry thought she’d been acting a little weird lately and they just realized that she kind of was. Laura usually always tried to finish her homework in the library and she’d left early today. Where did she go in that time span?

She couldn’t have been with Danny because she was at Quidditch practice, she couldn’t have been with JP because he came to get them after she left and she obviously wasn’t with them. Well, she could’ve gone to the Quidditch field to say hi to Danny and watch them practice while she did her homework. Wouldn’t have been the first time.

Perry finally came out of the common room and she looked extremely distressed and tired. She probably just cleaned the entire dorm, knowing her.

“It’s really annoying how no one but a Hufflepuff can enter your common room.” LaFontaine said trying to lighten her mood.

Perry smiled and LaFontaine was glad to have gotten to her.

“It’s the safest common room in Hogwarts and no one has seen it but us. It makes us special compared to the other houses.”

LaFontaine laughed. Hufflepuff being special was a rare thing. You never heard those two words together very often.

“It’s too bad Hufflepuff gets bagged on so much though.”

Perry frowned. Crap. They said the wrong thing. They knew how much she loved her house. They didn’t mean to, they were just trying to talk and get Perry to be happier. Nothing had been stolen, so it was too big of a deal. Right?

“Did you see Laura on her way in here?” Perry finally asked changing the subject and they knew that was probably on purpose considering she was probably too tired to argue.

“Yeah,” LaFontaine said. “She had a weird look on her face as if she had just won the golden ticket.”

“Hmmmm… I wonder where she came from?”

And LaFontaine had been wondering the same thing moments ago, but know that their girlfriend was here, they weren’t really focused on that.

“Beats me,” LaF said. “I just want to make sure that you are okay. You rushed out in an awful hurry. What happened?”

Perry smiled, but they knew it wasn’t genuine. They could see it and feel it.

“Someone just messed with my room and played a prank on me. Wait…”

LaFontaine looked at her curiously because she knew that Perry had just thought of something.

“Everything good?” they asked concerned.

“Why would someone in my own house do that to me? A Hufflepuff. Why would they put snakes in the drawer and trash everything? It couldn’t have been anyone but a Hufflepuff.”

LaFontaine almost laughed.

“You just realized this now? I guessed as soon as I got here. You have any problems with anyone in your house?”

Perry was thinking and spacing out and she didn’t seem to hear them.

“Perr?” They asked concerningly.

“Hmmm… Yeah?” she said very slowly. She was thinking really hard and LaFontaine knew by her voice and body language that she was close to an answer.

“Is everything okay?” they asked slowly.

“Yeah,” she suddenly replied quickly. “It was just a stupid prank.”

LaFontaine raised their eyebrow. They didn’t believe her.

“Look,” she grabbed LaFontaine’s hand. “I have to run to the library really quick. Wait here for me? I’ll be right back.”

“Why don’t I just come with you?” they asked confused.

“Because I’ll be coming back here right after that and no need for a needless trip, huh?” Perry said, gave them a kiss on the cheek and ran off.

They stood there very confused and worried.

The silence that Perry left was very uneasy for them. They didn’t like it so they took out their Potions book and started to finish reading the homework. They were fascinated by the way things mixed together and the way they worked, they really loved it.

LaFontaine had always had a knack for the wacky and weird. She knew Perry’s father was a wizard when Perry found out. They told each other practically everything. They loved Perry so much. They’d always been together and somehow fate just let them end up together and in the same school.

They remembered the day they received their letter. Three days after Perry did. They were both very excited for each other, but LaFontaine’s parents didn’t like the idea and didn’t want her to go, but Perry and her parents insisted that she should. Their parents had never been fond of Perry and her family, but it didn’t matter to LaFontaine. All they need was Perry and Perry only. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Their parents were always critical of them. They didn’t like them being a witch and they didn’t like the idea of her sexuality. They still refused to call her LaFontaine and use the proper pronouns. It stabbed them in the heart everytime she went home and their parents did this. They didn’t know what to do. They had tried everything to try and make their parents accept them, but they didn’t. 

It got worse when them and Perry started dating. Now they always dreaded going home. They loved going home to their parents before their second year when they discovered who they actually were and decided to tell their parents.

When their parents didn’t accept it at first, they tried to hide it, but then they got tired of doing that, so they just didn’t care anymore.

LaFontaine sighed. They knew that this problem would always come up. Not everyone was as accepting and as kind as her friends were. Especially Perry. LaFontaine smiled at the thought, but then remembered that she was worried about her. She was acting a little strange.

“Well look who it,” LaFontaine heard someone say and looked up from her book. It was three Slytherin kids, Johnny, Alice and Yax. The worst of them all. “The Mudblood who doesn’t even know who  _ she  _ is.”

Yax’s words oozed out like snake venom and his words hurt her like someone stabbed her in the stomach.

“Jackass,” LaFontaine spat out. “Learn to use the proper pronouns when addressing someone.”

They all laughed.

“Please,” Alice said. “Who are you? Guy or girl? There is no  _ other _ . You just can’t figure out who you are or what the hell you want to be  _ missy _ .”

Alice turned to her friends.

“Johnny, I think  _ she’s  _ starting to cry. You see those tears coming out of  _ her  _ eyes?”

She kept exaggerating the pronouns knowing they were wrong and knowing that it would make her emotional. And yes, they started to tear up. They hated people like this, their parents already did it to them, why did they have to deal with other people like this?

LaFontaine got up and started towards them.

“Oooo…,” Yax said. “Here sh-”

His words were interrupted with the slamming of a fist in his face and he staggered backwards in surprise and the rest of them backed up as well.

The shock wore off quickly and they returned to harassing her.

“Of course that’s how a Mudblood would do it.” Johnny laughed and pulled out his wand, in reaction, they pulled theirs out too.

Johnny smiled.

“A duel? With wands of course. No need for the shitty-ass Muggle way.”

They pointed their wand at him and he did the same.

“MISS LAFONTAINE and MR. PORTER!” they all heard someone yell.

The three Slytherins didn’t seem to care who it was and ran. LaFontaine whirled around to see that one of their professors, Professor Milligan was approaching them.

“I apologize for the misuse of that pronoun. I’m just not sure what to put in front.” she said blankly.

LaFontaine nodded and didn’t really care at that point.

“My office,” she said. “Now.”

“Bu-” LaFontaine protested.

“Now.” Mrs. Siniscalchi interrupted.

LaFontaine decided it would be best not to argue. She could tell her side of the story when they got to her office.


	4. Do You Know Me?

_ Ch 4 _

 

**Carmilla (4)**

Carmilla could not seem to read in peace anywhere. The library corner was usually her place of peace. Her sanction. But she felt there was someone watching her and she knew exactly who it was.

From the opposite side of the room she saw Laura and her friends, and Laura kept looking up from her book to look at Carmilla. She couldn’t focus with her watching her. Carmilla kept trying to ignore her, but the feeling of someone watching her was not comforting. Finally fed up with it, she got up and decided to go to her sanction in one of the quads. A place where no one would see her and bother her.

She reached the second aisle closest to the library door and realized that Laura was following her either that or coincidentally she was leaving at the same time she was. She grumbled. What the hell did she want now?

She swooped behind the door and waited against the wall to see if Laura was really following her.

Sure enough, she sees the tiny blonde bunny come busting through the doors. For someone so small, she sure looked like she had a lot of strength. She stopped and looked around like she was looking for someone and Carmilla guessed right. For some reason she was following her. Carmilla decided to speak.

“Why you following me cupcake?”

Carmilla almost burst out laughing as Laura jumped and turned around with surprise and it was funnier and cute when she saw Laura’s face go red.

Laura looked really embarrassed and looked at the ground. She was like a child who had just been caught red-handed watching a kiss on tv when they weren’t supposed to be looking.

“I just wanted to catch you and ask you a few things for Potions.”

Carmilla knew that that wasn’t the case. She could just ask tomorrow the homework wasn’t due for another couple of days. Carmilla gave her a look to indicate that she knew she was lying. She also probably could approached her in the library. Hopefully to get to blush some more because she thought it was cute, Carmilla decided to address the staring.

“The homework was easy. And why didn’t you just come up and ask me in the library instead of constantly looking up at me in between your reading?”

Laura blushed harder than the first time.

“You saw me? You didn’t even look up from your book.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. She could feel it and it’s not like she doesn’t have peripheral vision. 

“Yes I saw you. I couldn’t read with someone constantly staring at me every 5 minutes.”

“Sorry,” Laura looked up at her then back at the ground. “LaFontaine and Perry would’ve asked me questions and stuff if they saw me with you.”

Why would they ask questions? They were just lab partners. Unless, Laura had talked to them about her, but they hardly knew each other.

“Then why come talk to me at all?” 

Carmilla sighed. For godsake, they were just lab partners. Why did she care so much about what they thought. Why care what anyone thought?

Carmilla turned on her heel and started back to the Slytherin common room where she could hopefully get some damn peace and quiet to read her book.

Laura quickened her step, caught up to Carmilla and stepped in front of her to stop her.

You’ve got to be kidding me. What was with this girl? She just wouldn’t stop. Carmilla crossed her arms and gave her a look.

“What do you want?” Carmilla asked annoyed.

“To talk.” Laura said, but this time she was looking her straight in the eye.

“About?” Carmilla raised her eyebrows.

“Ummm… I was thinking about Potions.”

Bull. She was really going to be this persistent about Potions?

“You really wanted to come talk to me about Potions?”

Carmilla was about 100% sure that that was just a lame excuse.

“No,” Laura finally replied.

Then what the hell did the tiny blonde want to talk about?

“Well, actually yes,” Laura corrected herself. “Since you already read, I want to ask you a few questions just so I don’t mess up when we do our lab.”

Wow. She was still going with that excuse. Carmilla looked down. What was it about this girl that Carmilla couldn’t help but like her. Sure she was annoying, but last time this happened.... Carmilla decided not to think about it. Laura wasn’t into her that way. She probably just wanted to be friends with the mysterious girl from Slytherin, the headmistress’s daughter. She was a Hufflepuff after all. She shook her head at herself and knew that this could only end one way. Badly… But, what’s the harm in talking about schoolwork, if that’s what she really wanted to talk about. She shook her head at herself again. Yep, this was not going to be good for her.

“Fine,” she said with exhaustion. “Follow me. I can’t focus in there with people staring at me.”

She didn’t understand why she put in that last part until she looked at Laura and saw her blush again and maybe she was trying to make a point that she knew, she was watching her. She wasn’t quite sure, and wasn’t sure why she was caring about this so much.

Carmilla turned the opposite way of the Slytherin dungeon and towards her original place of thought, her quiet quad corner. She had never shown anyone it and couldn’t come up with a different place to go without Laura being self-conscious or herself being the same way. 

She walked briskly trying to get there before anyone saw her.

“Ummm.. Where are we going?” Laura asked as they entered the farthest quad from the main classrooms and past a few bushes that visibility from the rest of the quad.

“Somewhere. Don’t worry cupcake. It’s safe.”

Like safety was the last thing Laura was probably worried about. Carmilla laughed at the thought and Laura seemed to get more concerned.

They got there and there was a reason Carmilla loved it. Not only was it secluded, but it was amazingly beautiful.

There was a bench that Carmilla had put there when she found this place in her second year. It was small and surrounded by bushes, there was a waterfall against one of the walls, flowers were popping out from the bushes and it was perfectly positioned to that it was half shaded and half sun-lit perfectly. She loved it.

Carmilla turned towards Laura and saw the look of awe on her face.

“Wow,” Laura said looking around. “It’s beautiful. How’d you find this place?”

Carmilla smiled.

“I like to explore.”

She got in trouble a lot for her exploring. Especially when she like to do it when no one was lurking around at night.

She took a seat at the bench and pulled out her book and started reading. Laura quietly took a seat next to her and for once was just quiet.

Carmilla kept reading her book analyzing her favorite quote and thinking about how for some reason she was really trying to analyze it. It was reminding her of something, she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

“So you come to this place often?” Laura asked breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” she sighed, but this time it was a good sigh. “I like it here. I can focus here. It’s also really quiet.”

Laura seemed to raise her ear as soon as Carmilla stopped talking.

“You think I’m lying?”

Laura turned to her embarrassed. 

“No, I-I just was listening. Silence can be nice.”

Carmilla scoffed. She doubted Laura heard silence often, especially with how much she liked to talk. For Carmilla, she loved silence. It was nice and she didn’t feel the need to be talking all the time like a lot of people. She thought that silence said more most of the time rather than words. And words… seemed to mess everything up.

But it was Carmilla that broke the silence this time and it was a rarity for this to happen.

“So what’d you really want to talk about?”

“What do you mean?” Laura turned her head towards her.

“Please cupcake,” Carmilla said. “You really wanted to talk about Potions? Don’t lie to me. It’s easy to tell when you are.”

Laura didn’t blush like Carmilla expected her too.

“Fine,” she gave up. “I just wanted to talk. Get to know you.”

“Get to know me?” Carmilla laughed. The cupcake wanted to get to know her. Really?

“Well… Yeah.” Laura said with a little attitude.

This was ridiculous. Why in the world did Laura Hollis want to get to know her? Why would anyone want to get know her? She felt stupid. She brought her to her favorite place to “talk” so they could braid each others hair and gossip about people. Please.

“I’m sorry buttercup, I don’t do the whole “friends” thing.” she said and got up.”

“Wait,” Laura reached out and grabbed Carmilla’s hand.

Carmilla froze up.

“Is it really that bad to have a friend?” Laura asked.

Carmilla was frozen in place and Laura was still holding on to her hand. No one ever touched her. No one had touched her in years. She always avoided people and..  _ touching _ . And yes, it really was that bad to have a friend. No one was really genuine and even if they were, they always seemed to let you down. But… Nope. Nope. Nope.

Carmilla pulled her hand away, naturally to avoid weirdness, and turned to Laura.

“For me? Yes.” She said and busted through the bushes not waiting for a response.

“Carmilla!” Laura called, but she kept walking. “Please, wait!”

She was really starting to piss Carmilla off and she needed to stop her from trying this ridiculous shit of “talking” and being “friends”. She knew that this wasn’t a good idea. Why the fuck did she do this? God. She was an idiot.

She turned around and Laura almost bumped into her. Geez she could move fast.

“What do you want Laura? Friendship? Why? You think I need one? Or want one? Poor Carmilla, has no friends. Let me just try and be your friend because I pity her. You think you’ve got it figured out in that child brain of yours? You think just because I act like I don’t care about anything means I do actually care about anything but myself? Newsflash, I actually don’t care about anything so don’t bother me with your ridiculous notions.”

Laura was turning red, but not out of embarrassment. Frustration. Anger. Carmilla was actually getting Laura to get a rise from that. Laura looked like she was going to punch something, but also cry at the same time. Carmilla wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

“What the hell?” Laura said. “Don’t turn this around on me. I’m not the on-”

“The one who has no friends?” Carmilla angrily suggested. “Whatever, just forget it. Don’t talk to me again unless it’s for our damn Potions class. I can’t fucking avoid you, so just don’t.”

Carmilla turned and quickly walked away, leaving Laura speechless and pissed off. She didn’t care. She just didn’t care. And now she was pissed at herself for letting herself believe that maybe something good would have come out that.

She just wanted to bang her head against a wall.

 

**Kirsch**

He’d never been so scared in his life. Except for his first night as a werewolf. He was thirteen and he wasn’t one of those nasty ones who had become one with a bite. It was in his genes from his grandfather on his father’s side. Lucky for his father, it had skipped him and his parents had wished it would skip him to, but that wasn’t the case.

He remembered that his parents had forgotten about it because they didn’t really expect it to happen. But it did happen and it was disastrous.

He was home for Christmas and every time he thought about, he couldn’t imagine what would have happened if he was at school.

He was really wired that day and he thought it was just pre-Christmas sugar that was getting to him, so did his parents. He was literally bouncing off the walls. But it wasn’t just physically. He had gone to the park, picked a fight with the most random kid about taking his spot on the basketball court and he had hurt the kid so bad, he went to the hospital for a fractured rib. He then snapped at his parents that day, which he had never done in his life, when they tried to talk to him about it.

They punished him with room confinement until further notice and he went to his room, slammed the door and lied down on his bed.

He had no clue what he just did and why. He just felt very angry and wired, and he needed to let it out.

He didn’t fall asleep that night either. He lied in bed and in the middle of winter, when it was usually cold, he was extremely hot. No covers on and profusely sweating. He felt so hot and uncomfortable. He was tossing and turning. Until he felt his wrist leg twist funny and he screamed in pain. He was confused. What was happening? He watched and felt as his arm did a complete 180 degree twist. He screamed again.

“Kirsch!!!” he heard his dad yell outside his door.

He wanted to go and unlock it, but he couldn’t move. 

He heard a smash and felt the door hit the side of his bed. The last thing he saw that night was his dad and his mom running towards him, and then he blacked out.

He woke up in the park. Naked on the top of the slide. He wondered how he got there. He didn’t remember anything from last night for a second and then it hit him.

He shot up and looked at his arm and leg. They looked completely normal. Maybe it was just a bad dream he had thought at the moment until he looked to his left and saw giant claw marks. Five claw marks scratched across the side of the playpark like someone with claws was trying to get up the slide.

He felt it. It was deep and then he realized it was the same size as his hand. His eyes widened. What happened?

He stepped off the playpark and saw the sun starting to rise. It couldn’t have been later than six o’clock. He looked around and no one was around.

Kirsch scoured the park and found a jacket and towel that had been left behind by random people. He tossed on the jacket and placed the towel around his waist.

He approached his house and saw something weird around the back. He wanted to see what it was, but looking back at it now, Kirsch wished he hadn’t seen it.

The window on the second floor had been smashed like someone jumped through it and there was blood stains everywhere. What did he do?

“Kirsch!” he heard his mom yell. “You’re alright!”

He was still in shock. He knew that something not normal had happened. He was in wizarding school for goodness sake.

“Mom?” he said close to tears.

His parents explained everything that day and he found out that luckily the blood was from random rabbit and deer he had killed and brought back for some reason.

He didn’t know what to do or what to think that day. He was scared shitless. He was a werewolf and it would be with him for the rest of his life. He wanted to die that day.

After talking to Gunther, he gave Kirsch three flasks of the potion, hopefully it would last him for the next three months. Gunther told him that he needed to drink half of it the night before a full moon and rest the morning of. He had to, otherwise it wouldn’t work and Kirsch was going to follow it.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t prevent him from turning, only that it wouldn’t hurt and he was in control of himself when he was turned.

Professor Gunther also told him to get help in Potions from his partner considering how poorly he did in his last Potions class. So, Kirsch went to the Quidditch field where Danny almost beat his ass up.

“Awesome. Thanks, bro. Sorry, for interrupting your practice time. I’ll see you tonight!” Kirsch said to Danny finishing up their conversation.

“Not looking forward to it!” Kirsch heard Danny yell at him, but Kirsch doubted it. Danny had to like him in some perspective. It was why she picked on him so much. She was just mean to him to avoid her real feelings for him. Kirsch laughed.

“Hey Kirsch,” he saw a guy on the Quidditch team, Arc, approaching him. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just needed to talk to your captain about a class.”

“Cool.” Arc said. 

Kirsh continued walking.

“Oh,” Arc said before walking into the bathroom. “Thanks for the stuff.”

Kirsch looked at him really confused.

“What stuff?”

“The really cool spirit stuff from the Zeta club. Really appreciate it.”

Kirsch smiled and remembered that he had made something for each of the players.

“Thanks bro. Glad you like it.”

Just as he was about to exit he remembered that he made up a spell a few days ago to enhance athletic performance. It worked when they took a run around the school and maybe it could help with a Quidditch game…

“Wait, Arc!” Kirsch turned and called.

“Yeah?” he stopped.

“Can I try something on you? For the game? I just discovered a spell that helps with agility. You want to try it out today?”

Arc looked suspicious.

“I tried it on Will. It worked.”

“Alright. This one time.” he finally said and Kirsch smiled. Yes. Maybe he could make Danny like him more for this.

Kirsch raised his wand and said,” _ Agilitas melius _ !” pointing his wand at Arc. The spell hit Arc and Arc’s body seemed to absorb it.

Arc took a breath and nodded.

“Yeah. I feel pretty good.” he smiled. “Thanks Kirsch. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“That’d be great bro. See ya around!”

Kirsch walked inside into the castle and didn’t really know what to do. He walked through the halls just walking and not thinking.

“Hey Kirsch!” Kirsch turned around and saw Will running towards him.

“Will. What’s up?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

Kirsch waited a moment for Will to catch his breath.

“Fireworks.” he simply stated.

Kirsch thought about it for a moment and started nodding his head. He loved fireworks. Why not?

“Yeah!” Kirsch said and gave Will a high-five.

“Sweet!” Will said and then walked away.

Kirsch didn’t see how he and Carmilla were related. Sure they were both Slytherins, but Will was cool and Carmilla was… uncool.

Speaking of Carmilla, he saw her pop out from behind a bush in the quad looking extremely pissed. He didn’t think much of it because she always looked pissed, but then he saw Laura run out of the bush running after Carmilla.

Wtf?

Kirsch quietly sat down behind the wall, not wanting to interrupt them and make it awkward. But what was Laura doing with Carmilla behind that bush? 

Kirsch shook his head. Potions that is what it was. He started to get up until he heard Carmilla yelled. Nope bro. Definitely not Potions. He sat there for a while until he heard Carmilla practically run away and he poked his head up to see Laura stalk in the opposite direction looking like she was going to punch someone and it was a very rare look for her.

Kirsch had no idea what he just witnessed, but he knew better to mind his own business. He did not want to mess with or deal with Carmilla Karnstein.

He realized that he had mindless walked the complete opposite direction of the Gryffindor common room and sighed at the thought of walking all the way back to it.

He took a few steps forward then heard angry footsteps right in front of him. Danny was coming barreling at him. Very fast and looking very angry.

No. He quickly turned around very very quickly walked the opposite way of the angry Quidditch captain coming his way. He didn’t care if it would take him farther away, he did not like the way Danny looked.

“KIRSCH!!!” he heard her yelled and as soon as he turned the corner, he started sprinting.

 

**LaFontaine**

The thing about their life was that LaFontaine would probably have to deal with this sort of thing almost their entire life and they’d have to learn to deal with it without physically fighting. Oh dear.

Professor Milligan led them down to her office. They knew the class well because of the fact that Charms was one of her favorite classes and they’d been called to her many times considered they tended to get in trouble a lot. Professor Milligan always reminded of the quote Muggle quote, “Curiosity killed the cat.” They would always sigh and not, but they couldn’t help but want to learn and explore things.

“You should know better.” she said as she gestured LaFontaine to sit down.

They slumped into their seat and knew that she was right.

“I can’t help it,” LaFontaine said. “They were completely out of line and it came out of nowhere. I have never done anything to anyone in this castle to piss them off.”

Professor Milligan sighed.

“Honey, that’s not true,” she sat down next to them rather than across the desk. “Your experimenting, your curiosity, your personality… I can rub people the wrong way.”

“What’s so bad about wanting to know and learn more?” They complained.

“It’s how if affects the people around you, especially when it doesn’t make their life easier. For example you were trying to make everyone’s life easier by charming the books in the library to come out when they were called by their name, but when it didn’t go right and instead they started fluttering around and attacking everyone with paper cuts, they hated it. The library was close for the next week and made everyone’s life ten times for difficult for trying to find a good place to study and finding things to help them with their homework.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “You have a lovely and fantastic, outgoing personality, it just tends to rub people the wrong way sometimes and cause trouble for you. They look for reasons to tease you and piss you off based on some of your own actions you may not have known that affected anyone but yourself.”

They knew that she was making sense, but they also didn’t care if people didn’t like their personality or not. Besides, that shouldn’t be a reason for people to tease her and be mean to her.

“That doesn’t make what they did right though.”

“Yes, you’re right, but it doesn’t make your reaction right either.”

LaFontaine was getting frustrated. This wasn’t their fault. They didn’t start the fight, the Slytherin kids did. Why were they getting dragged through the mud for this? They just wanted someone to be on their side and understand why they did what they did. It was defense, not offense.

“I thought that my reaction was perfectly well-matched to the situation.” They said.

“You punched one kid in the nose. It’s broken and bleeding. You think that is a perfect reaction to that situation.”

LaFontaine tilted their head back and forth. Maybe it wasn’t necessary, but they hated people treating her like trash.

“You need to learn to either ignore them or walk away.” Professor Milligan said.

They knew that they wouldn’t have walked away because they were waiting for Perry to get back. Speaking of which, was she back yet wondering where they were?

“My office. Detention for a week.” She said.

LaFontaine groaned. This wasn’t their fault. Why were they getting punished?

“And the other kids?” they asked.

“They will be dealt with on another day, and it will just they same punishment as you.”

The  _ same  _ punishment? Are you kidding me? It wasn’t their fault that the Slytherins decided to tease them and they fought back.

“We’ll start tomorrow. Be here at 4 o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.”

“Of course.” LaFontaine grumbled as she got up out of chair and left the room.

Why did they seem to always end up in a situation that caused them to make rash decisions, ending in a teacher’s office? It was because they were always so defensive about themselves and who they were. Ever since they realized who they were, they’d been fighting because of how people reacted towards it and how disrespectful people were towards them.

The first time couple times, they let it go because it was something new to people and something people weren’t used to yet. It wasn’t until they after a couple weeks when they knew that they were doing it to tease them and annoy them. That’s when they got tired of it.

It came out in tears first. but it eventually moved to a state of annoyance and anger.

“Well, well, well,” a Slytherin named Gryf said as he and few others passed them and Perry in the library during their second year. “If it isn’t the girl who doesn’t know who she is. I’m not a girl, I’m not a boy. I’m nothing.”

The Slytherins laughed when he mocked them.

“Shut up and keep going.” Perry sneered.

“Why should I?” Gryf sneered. “What are you going to do about it?”

Perry stood up, but LaF held her back.

“Yeah that’s what I thought you damn whore.”

LaFontaine stood up really quickly and slapped him straight across the face.

“Don’t ever fucking call Perry that ever again.” 

LaFontaine stared him down, but after the shock wore off he said, “Bitch, who said I was calling your fucking girlfriend a whore? Cunt.”

He shaked his head and laughter and started walking away, but LaFontaine moved into front of him blocking him off from the pathway.

He smiled.

“What you gonna do about it? Noth-”

His words were cut off by a groan of pain as LaFontaine punched him in the stomach and whispered in his ear as he was bent over in pain.

“Call me, my girlfriend or any of my friends that ever again and I’ll aim about a foot lower next time.” 

LaFontaine was pissed off. They’d been dealing with this for way too long and now they just wanted it to stop. They didn’t care how. They just wanted it to stop.

Gryf stood up, his nose almost touching LaF’s forehead.

“Bitch, you’ll pay for that one.” he spit out, turned on his heel and stalked off.

LaFontaine didn’t take crap from anyone from that day forward. Everyone started to realize that and started backing off, but there were a few who didn’t. All of them were Slytherins. They never liked nor trusted them, ever. In fact, she prefered to completely ignore them unless they didn’t… 

“LaFontaine,” they heard their name and turned around. “I thought you were going to wait for me. I went back and you weren’t there. Where were you?”

They were annoyed from earlier when Perry left them for a reason unknown to them..

“I got caught up in something after you left. Had to talk to Professor Milligan.”

“What happened?” she sounded concerned.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” they replied. What had she been doing in the library? And why didn’t she want them to come with her?

“I think I might have an idea about what happened.” she said looking distantly. 

“And?”

“It was a Slytherin who somehow convinced a Hufflepuff to do it. I’m trying to figure out how though. From what I know, a Hufflepuff wouldn’t do anything like that on their own.”

They could feel it now. The loss of control. The Imperial curse. They never wanted to feel that again and maybe that’s what had happened. It would’ve been easy. Control then erase. Simple. At least that’s how it was done to them. 


	5. Why do you do what you do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get interesting

_ Ch. 5 _

 

**Laura (5)**

Why was this girl so damn difficult? Gosh. If she wasn’t so difficult, then Laura probably could get through to her, but because she was such a pain, she couldn’t.

Laura busted through the bushes. Why was she being so insistent about this girl?

“Carmilla! Please, wait!” Laura yelled running after her.

This was not going well. All Laura wanted to do was be her friend and let her know that she wasn’t alone, and that she didn’t have to cut herself off from the world.

Carmilla stopped right in her tracks and Laura had to put an abrupt stop on her feet so she wouldn’t run into her.

For a moment they were so close. Almost touching.  Carmilla’s features were very sharp looking, but also seemed to have a softness- especially her lips- to it hidden underneath the sharp, not just facial features either. Laura was studying her until she took a step back and gave her a pissed off look. She looked very pissed off.

“What do you want Laura?” Laura jumped, Carmilla surprised her with her very sharp tone of voice. “Friendship? Why? You think I need one? Or want one? Poor Carmilla, has no friends. Let me just try and be your friend because I pity her. You think you’ve got it figured out in that child brain of yours? You think just because I act like I don’t care about anything means I do actually care about anything but myself? Newsflash, I actually don’t care about anything so don’t bother me with your ridiculous notions.”

Laura was furious. She wasn’t trying to act like she knew everything, because she knew she didn’t. And she wasn’t trying to act like she did. This girl was just pushing her to her limits and no one had very made her feel this angry and frustrated ever before. She was ready to punch her in the face, but she was also feeling so upset. She didn’t know whether to cry or punch.

So she just decided to try and speak.

“What the hell?” Laura said. “Don’t turn this around on me. I’m not the on-”

“The one who has no friends?” Carmilla interrupted waving her hands at her. “Whatever, just forget it. Don’t talk to me again unless it’s for our damn Potions class. I can’t fucking avoid you, so just don’t.”

Laura was speechless. She couldn’t believe it. All she wanted was to try and be nice to Carmilla because she figured no one ever tried to be to her before and they would have to deal with each other because of Potions. They should at least should try and be friends.

Carmilla’s hair whipped Laura in the face as she angrily turned around and quickly walked away. Laura was completely shocked. She didn’t understand it. She couldn’t understand her.

The rest of the day, her mind kept reeling about Carmilla. Who was this girl? She knew she would have to see her at Potions tomorrow, but how it would go was the real question that she was asking herself.

It kept her awake that night. Why was this situation bothering her so much? She was just an annoying lab partner that no one wanted to work with. Goodness, why was she such a Hufflepuff sometimes?

She was nervous about seeing Carmilla again after their somewhat of a falling out with her the previous day. She was also still fuming at her for being so unreasonable and mean to her for what seemed like no reason, but Laura trying to be nice to her.

She wasn’t the first one in the classroom, but she was there before Carmilla was.

Laura kept looking at the clock as people were flowing into the class. No sign of Carmilla. Maybe she was so pissed that she wouldn’t want to even come to class just because she knew she would have to see Laura.

That would be childish though. Not coming to class just because of her. Would she really play that game? No. Carmilla wouldn’t. Out of all the people in the school, Carmilla always seemed to be older than everyone else. The way she acted sometimes made you think she was a lot older than she really was.

“Earth to Laura,” Laura turned her head and saw that Danny had taken a seat next to her. “You okay? You look a little deep in thought.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said mentally shaking her head at herself. “Just thinking.”

“About?” Danny asked.

“Nothing really,” Laura said sounding distant. She kept staring back at the clock and back at the door. Would she show up? Maybe Laura would get the chance to have a civil talk with her. She could work things out so they may not be friends, but hopefully they could be nice in Potions.

“Laura?” Danny said waving her hand in front of Laura.

“Yeah,” her head shot in Danny’s direction.

“Are you excited?”

“For?”

Danny laughed. Laura didn’t know why.

“Are you serious?” Danny asked. “Did you really not just hear me?”

“I’m sorry Danny, I’ve got a lot on my mind I’ve been thinking about.”

Danny looked really shocked and offended. Laura was just really confused as to what she asked her. She felt in a dazed state with her thoughts.

“Red, I believe that you’re in my seat.” said a familiar sarcastic voice.

Laura’s head snapped up and saw Carmilla wearing the not usual robes. Instead, she was in black leather pants-which wow- with leather boots and a regular school sweater with a green Slytherin tie. Laura was speechless, and not fight speechless. It even took Danny a minute to speak. Laura looked at the clock. 1 minute until class started.

“Whatever Karnstein,” Danny turned to Laura. “Talk later?”

Laura was still eyeing Carmilla.

“Yeah. I’ll talk to you later.” Laura said half-heartedly.

Danny left hesitantly looking back and forth between Laura and Carmilla, but Laura was too fixated on Carmilla to notice. 

She took her seat without a word to Laura. In fact, she acted like Laura wasn’t even there.

Laura opened up her mouth.

“Don’t apologize cupcake,” Carmilla said picking at her nails and not looking at her. “Remember what I said? Don’t talk to me unless it’s about Potions. Besides, you talk too much, so just shut it.”

Laura closed her mouth. Maybe she should just wait awhile to try and talk to her. Hopefully she would listen and they would be able to have a adult conversation without throwing insults around at each other.

“Class,” Professor Gunther said as he barged into the classroom. “I hope you’ve gotten to know your partner because you’ll be working together now on a potion. Graded and all.”

The entire class groaned. Even Laura. She was not prepared for it. She didn’t like not being prepared and she didn’t think Carmilla was totally ready for it. Laura did not want to fail her first graded potions assignment. That was the last thing she needed.

“You have the rest of class which is about an hour and a half to make the perfect elixir to induce euphoria. You can now begin.”

Laura turned to Carmilla as she grabbed out her cauldron.

“So?” Laura asked.

Carmilla pulled out her book and smoothly flipped the book open to the page with the directions and ingredients to making the elixir. 

“We begin.” she said and walked over to ingredients cabinet and started pulling things from the shelves.

“Wait. Shouldn’t we talk about this before we get started?” Laura said.

Carmilla swayed over the cauldron with a lot of different ingredients.

“I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry about it cupcake, I’ve got this, just sit back and relax. Probably the first time you’ve gotten the chance to do that.”

Nope. Not at all. Laura wasn’t going to take it. She was not going to “sit back and relax”. She was not going to let her take over the entire project.

“No,” Laura insisted. “I am not going to let you do everything yourself and get all the credit. I want to take part in this, I want to do this too. Besides, you’re supposed to add the porcupine pills after the shrivelfig and you’re putting too much of it into the potion. Less shrivelfig and add it before the porcupine quills. That’s what the book says. Clearly, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Creampuff, from what I’ve learned from all my years taking potions, the book is never right. You always have to take it with a grain of salt and modify it based on your instincts and what you’ve learned from doing other potions,” Carmilla said while smashing the shirvelfig. “For example, putting porcupine quills first will always make the potion for potent.”

“Why are you smashing it?” Laura yelped.

“Because it’s harder to cut them. And smashing it gets more of the juices out.”

“I really think we should follow the instructions in the book.” Laura said struggling to cut up the shrivelig. “I don’t want to mess this up today,”

Laura tossed in the shrivelig,

“Laura! NO!” Carnilla yelled. She turned to her and stared daggers at Laura, “Why would you do that?”

“I’m following the instructions,” Laura was getting pissed now. Carmilla was totally going off the books and Laura was not going to be fail their project because of it.

“You’re not doing it right!” Carmilla sounding like she was getting really pssed. “And I don’t want to fail this either. God, you’re so naive. Now we have to start over.”

“No!” Laura yelled. “It’s a perfectly fine potion so far. There’s no need to throw it out and start over!”

Laura slapped Carmilla’s hand away and tossed the porcupine quills into the cauldron. But Carmilla bumped her and the bottle slipped into the cauldron.

“Carmilla!” Laura yelled.

“LAURA!” Carmilla yelled back, but it wasn’t a mad or pissed off yell. It was more of a concerned one. The next thing Laura knew, Carmilla grabbed her head, covered her and hit the deck.

She heard an explosion above her head and screams erupted around her. Carmilla’s arms were still wrapped around her. Should could feel Carmilla’s stomach pressed against her back, her heart racing fast. It was a comforting position and oddly enough, Laura didn’t feel awkward like most people would have. Carmilla’s arms were warm and cozy, and protective. Carmilla has just shielded her from the potion.

Laura slightly turned her head and couldn’t see Carmilla’s face, but she felt it over curled over head. Laura snapped back to attention for a second. Why? Why did she just shield her? Of anything, she thought Carmilla would’ve used her as a shield. 

“Look what you did.” Carmilla said quietly under her breath. “Nice job cupcake.”

Laura looked up at Carmilla. She still looked amazing with green dust all over her and singed hair. Looking as flawless as ever, she looked at Laura and started shaking her head while she released her arms and stood up.

“This wasn’t my fault!” she yelled at Carmilla getting up quickly. Laura could hear her classmates panicking in the background with Professor Gunther trying to calm everyone down, it was hard to see him though, through the dust.

“Yeah, it was.” she said rolling her eyes. Laura couldn’t tell if she was going to laugh at her or going to yell at her. 

She crossed her arms, she was not in the mood to argue about something  so stupid and it was clearly Carmilla’s fault. If she hadn’t bumped her, it never would’ve happened.

It took a while to clean up, but time was up by then and everyone else was done besides Laura and Carmilla. Great, Laura was so excited to fail this. She wondered what Carmilla was thinking at this point as they hadn’t spoken while cleaning up.

Everyone started to leave until Carmilla and Laura were the last in the class. Laura was trying to prepare herself to hear that they failed their first potion lab, but she just couldn’t imagine and it and didn’t want to imagine it.

“Miss Karnstein, Miss Hollis,” Professor Gunther said walking towards them. “I don’t know what is going on between you too, but you should figure it out before I give you a second chance tomorrow.”

Laura’s mouth almost dropped to the floor. A second chance? Really?

Gunther then left the room without another word.

Laura’s head turned towards Carmilla in surprise who was already packing to leave. Laura couldn’t believe that Gunther was giving them a second chance. He was never known to do anything like that. He was known to be pretty harsh like that.

“Don’t get too excited cupcake.” Carmilla said leaving the room.

Laura quickly grabbed her bag and ran after Carmilla.

“It wasn’t like it was my fault in the first place.” Laura stated.

“Mmmm-hmmmm… I wasn’t the one who poured too much porcupine quills in the cauldron.”

“That was because you bumped me!” Laura yelped.

“Look,” Carmilla said stopping and facing Laura. “next time, hold the bottle tighter. You always hold the bottle tight because even dropping something by accident can be bad.”

Laura rolled her eyes.

“Let’s just go with my plans next time. Believe me,” Carmilla said walking away again. “From what I’ve learned, doing it my way, we’ll have the best potion in class.”

Laura wanted to argue with her again. She’d been doing it by the books for all her years she had been here.

“Really?” Laura asked. “How? Can you prove it?”

Carmilla smirked. Laura almost laughed. Carmilla’s sarcasm was really growing on her.

“Just do a little research in the library. You’ll see what I mean.”

Laura smiled. She actually felt like they were becoming friends-somewhat. Carmilla would probably never call it that right now, but she was sure there was something there.

“Alright,” Laura said still smiling.” I guess I will. You have a class right now?”

“No. I’m heading back to my spot,” Carmilla said hesitantly. “And if you want to come, I can show you some of the stuff I’ve researched.”

Carmilla’s tongue lingered on the end of research in a way that made Laura swoon. Laura could feel her face turn red and she turned away from Carmilla trying to hide it. She felt like she reddened a lot now these days.

“I wish. That place is amazing,” Laura replied. “But I have a class right now.”

“Too bad,” Carmilla said. She looked at Laura through her long eyelashes that seemed to sparkle for no reason, even with no sunlight around and her eyes shone through them brightly. Laura wondered how she did that. “We could’ve had some fun, cupcake.” 

Carmilla winked at Laura and walked in the direction of Carmilla’s secret hideout without looking back.

Laura blushed. What was wrong with her? It was like she had a weird blushing condition, illness thingy.

 

**Danny**

Danny wanted to kill Kirsh so bad.

She hadn’t seen him since he sprinted away yesterday, but she had been keeping an eye out for him all day yesterday, but now they had potions together and there was no way he could avoid her today. Unless he wouldn’t go to class. But that would be a stupid move.

She walked into class and looked for the annoying puppy, but he hadn’t arrived yet. Typical. He was usually one the last ones  to show up. Her desk was empty and so was the seat next to Laura. Snake-face hadn’t showed up yet.

Danny walked over to Laura and she looked really deep in thought and looked anxious, not in a good way.

“Hey Laura,” Danny said as she sat down. Laura looked like she was staring at the clock opposite of the direction that Danny had taken a seat. And Laura didn’t seem to hear her, probably enveloped in her own thoughts, Laura was too busy thinking to hear her.

“Earth to Laura,” Danny tried again and Laura’s head snapped in her direction so fast Danny thought she was lucky she didn’t break her neck. “You okay? You look a little deep in thought.”

Probably a little too deep because when Laura answered that she was fine, she still sounded very distant, and that was not Laura-like when  Danny was around. If anything, Danny made her more chatty.

“Just thinking,” Laura said still very distant and went back to daydreaming.

Danny was getting slightly annoyed when she didn’t offer up an explanation. She was trying to start a conversation and Laura seemed like she was completely uninterested which again- was very un-Laura like. Was something going on between them that Danny was unaware of? She thought they’d been pretty good the past couple days and Danny had just decided- before Kirsch ruined everything- that she was going to ask her out. Now… Not so much. But Danny wouldn’t give up on this conversation.

“About?” Danny asked. 

It took a minute for Laura to answer and she still didn’t sound like she was on this planet.

“Nothing really,” Laura said slowly.

Danny looked and saw that she was still staring in the same spot. The clock. Why was she staring at the clock. Class wouldn’t go by any faster by doing that. Danny was getting even more annoyed, but wanted to keep pushing for her to talk.

“Are you excited for the game?” Danny asked.

Once again Laura didn’t hear her as she was staring off looking extremely concentrated on the clock. Gosh damn it Laura! Danny was trying here.

“Laura?” Danny said waving her hand frantically in front of Laura desperately trying to get her to carry on some sort of conversation.

“Yeah,” Laura’s head snapped in Danny’s direction.

“Are you excited?” Danny repeated herself.

“For?” Laura said looking like herself and really confused.

Danny laughed in relief that she had finally grabbed the Laura she knew out of whatever daze she was in.

“Are you serious?” Danny asked. “Did you really not just hear me?”

Laura tilted her head and sighed.

“I’m sorry Danny, I’ve got a lot on my mind I’ve been thinking about.”

Okay, what the hell was going on with her. Danny was now officially frustrated at Laura. This wasn’t what their usual conversations went like. Danny suddenly wished that she asked her out the last time they talked because Laura seemed to be flirting with her a lot, but now it was gone. Danny thought that they had something going on. Was she wrong? Did she do something wrong? Why was L-

“Red, I believe that you’re in my seat.” Danny heard a snake behind her say.

Danny watched as Laura’s head immediately snapped up at Carmilla’s voice and Danny was feeling something. A hatred for Carmilla and annoyance at Laura, this was a new feeling for her. Jealousy? Was it?

“Whatever Karnstein,” Danny turned to Laura. “Talk later?”

Laura’s eyes were fixated on Carmilla and Danny wanted to slap her across the face, but that wouldn’t have helped the situation. Besides, she’d have Saturday to try and ask her out. Hopefully, she’d be her normal self again.

“Yeah. I’ll talk to you later.”

Danny’s eyes flashed to Carmilla who was picking her nails in annoyance waiting for Danny to get out of her seat. She looked at Laura one last time who was still looking at Carmilla and Danny did not want to let Carmilla have this seat. She didn’t want to give it up, but there was only one minute left until class. So Danny got up and took her seat next to Kirsch.

Kirsch! She snapped out of her annoyance which turned to anger. She wanted to beat him to a plup right then and there.

“Kirsch,” she growled under her breath.

“Ummm…” Kirsch gulped.”Hey D-Bear, you mind if I explain myself about what happened yesterday. I didn’t mean to do that to him, I was just trying to help, that’s all. I wasn’t trying to sabotage you or anything, it’s just that Will gave me the spell to try and he said it would work and all, but I-”

“You trusted a Slytherin?” Danny growled under her breath.

There was a weird silence before Kirsch answered.

“You know that he’s not just a Slytherin, he’s also a Zeta bro, and we never betray each other like that. It’s not what we do. I-”

“Class,” Professor Gunther said as the door swung open. Just in time too. Any longer and she might’ve cut Kirsch’s tongue out just to shut him up. “I hope you’ve gotten to know your partner because you’ll be working together now on a potion. Graded and all.”

Danny and the whole class groaned. Great. She would now somehow have to work with the scared, desperate puppy dog next to her that did know crap about anything. This was not going to be fun.

Danny already planned on doing it all on her own because she was not going to get a bad grade in this because of some Zeta.

“You have the rest of class which is about an hour and a half to make the perfect elixir to induce euphoria,” Professor Gunther looked at the clock. “Begin.”

Kirsch started towards the ingredients table, but Danny put her arm out to stop him.

“Sit. Don’t touch anything. I don’t need you messing that up too.”

Kirsch looked offended and hurt, but sat back down and waited. Such a puppy.

Danny grabbed everything and returned to see that Kirsch already has his book open and was prepared to do the work.

“I’m not letting you do this alone,” he said confidently. “I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I sure can work and bros don’t let other bros do all the work.”

Danny rolled her eyes. She was so not a bro.

Kirsch snatched a bottle of shrivelfig from her hand and started cutting them up. He was seriously wanting to help.

“Alright Kirsch,” Danny gave in. “Whatever.”

He was cutting up the shrivelfig and Danny decided to measure out the porcupine quills.

Danny peeked over to Laura and saw that she seemed to be arguing with Carmilla about something. Danny couldn’t help but smile. Things were not going well between the two and it pleased Danny for some reason.

“LAURA!” Danny turned and saw that Carmilla had yelled at her, but it wasn’t an angry yell. Danny wasn’t sure what it was. But she saw Carmilla wrap her body around Laura and pull her to the ground. Danny was very confused until Kirsch did the same thing, and it felt oddly comfortable for her, but then she remembered that it was Kirsch that was holding her.

“What the hell? Wha-”

BOOM. Danny looked up and saw that Carmilla and Laura’s potion had exploded into bits of green dust around the classroom.

Danny immediately pushed Kirsch off her and stood up. She tried staring daggers at Kirsch, but she couldn’t. He had just saved her from an exploding potion.

“You okay, D?” he asked concerned.

“I’m fine,” Danny said calmly and trying to look unfazed, except she was and it wasn’t the exploding potion that fazed her. “Thank you. For covering me.”

Kirsch smiled.

“No problem. Just didn’t want you to get hurt. You never know what potions can do to you. Especially ones that have been mixed wrong.”

Danny couldn’t help, but smile back.

“This wasn’t my fault!” she distantly heard Laura yell.

“Please calm down class and resume your work. It’s harmless, I’ll take care of the clean up, just please continue. And calm down Mr. Fulton, it won’t hurt you.”

“We should continue.” Danny said, but Kirsch was already taking her measure of quills and putting it into the cauldron.

They kept working and eventually finished. They were just waiting for Gunther’s approval to test it out.

“Danny,” Kirsch spoke. “I’m really sorry about what I did to Arc. I swear I only meant to do it to try and help. I had no idea what it would actually do to him.”

Danny’s anger towards Kirsch had subsided and now she just rolled her eyes at his stupidity.

“Next time, test it out on one of your own,” she shoved her finger into his chest. “Before you do it on my players. Actually, just never do it to my players ever again. Got it?”

Kirsch sighed.

“Yeah, I got it.” He looked like a little kid that had gotten his favorite science set taken away, but Danny didn’t feel bad. She did not need him or any other Zeta messing with her squad.

“Looks good,” Professor Gunther said when he came over to look at their potion. “Good ahead and try it.”

Danny gestured to Kirsch as he gestured to her. Oh no. Who was going to take it?

“Some’s got to take it,” he said.

There was silence and Gunther sighed.

“Fine,” Kirsch grumbled. I’ll do it.”

Danny didn’t argue as he looked at her while picking up the bottle. He dipped it in, lifted it up and it looked pretty pretty. It was yellow and normally yellow wasn’t a color Danny was too fond of- even though it was one of her house colors- but, this was like a nice sunshine yellow that was more whitish-yellow if anything. There seemed to be a rainbow coming from it and Danny just thought it was the trick of her eye because it seemed to be there, but you also couldn’t quite tell by directly looking at it.

Kirsch glupped it down and then set the bottle down. Danny waited for something to happen, but there were no physical changes to Kirsch.

“How ya feeling Kirsch?” Gunther asked.

“Ummm… Fine. Really. How does this work?”

Gunther smiled.

“Just give it a second.”

Danny was getting impatient then all of a sudden Kirsch just started smiling for no reason. Then he started to sing. He didn’t have the best voice in the world, but it was funny and Danny couldn’t help but laugh.

He sounded absolutely ridiculous that eventually Danny’s stomach started to hurt, but she couldn’t stop. She hadn’t laughed like this in a while.

“How long does this last?” Danny asked in between breaths.

“Not too long. He didn’t take that much.” Gunther was smiling and it kind of surprised her. He didn’t seem like that kind of teacher.

It started to wane off and Kirsch reduced to whistling while they were cleaning. 

“Am I a beautiful singer?” he asked after it fully wore off and they were leaving the classroom.

“Not really.” Danny said her sides still hurting from laughing so much.

“Hmmmm… Was I really that ridiculous?”

“Yes. You were crazy funny though.” Danny smirked and Kirsch laughed.

“So you think you could help me on the report?” Kirsch asked. 

“Yeah,” Danny said without hesitation which was unusual because she usually thought of a snarky response for him. “I’ll meet you in the library after my practice.”

“Sounds good,” Kirsch said. “I’ll see you then.”

Kirsch started to walk off.

“Kirsch, wait!” Danny called and Kirsch stopped to turn to towards her.

She ran over to him.

“Thanks for the laugh.” she kissed his cheek, quickly turned around and walked away.

She had no idea where that came from. She guessed that she was just happy to have had a good laugh. She was so caught up Quidditch and Laura and school that she never thought just to let herself laugh. She liked it.

She always thought Kirsch was stupid funny, but never let herself laugh because of who she was supposed to be. The tough, great Quidditch player. 

Danny just needed that kind of laugh everyone once in awhile and if Kirsch would help her do it, then maybe she could hang out with him everyone once in awhile.

Just as potions partners, of course.

 

**Perry**

She knew that it had to some Slytherin using a Hufflepuff to get to her room. She didn’t want to say it outloud, but she figure that whoever it was might’ve used one of the Unforgivable curses on whoever trashed her room.

You were never supposed to use those on Hogwarts ground and she was pretty sure that the admin had a way of telling who casted those sort of spells, but she hadn’t heard anything.

The rest of the day she had been trying to figure out who would do that. Of course, any of the Slytherins were capable of doing it, but how would she narrow it down.

Potions went by like a second and of course, she and LaFontaine were successful, but the entire time, she wasn’t really there. She wanted to know who trashed her room and who got them to do it.

Because she knew they were looking for something, the question was about what they were looking for. The necklace was safe. She moved it to somewhere safer, somewhere she felt comfortable with. Also her favorite room in the whole school. The Room of Requirement. Perry knew that no one would find it there because it took effort and a need to actually find it and it was well-hidden within the storage rooms there.

“You still doing okay?” LaFontaine asked her.

“Yeah, babe,” Perry squeezed their hand. “I’m doing alright. Just thinking.”

“About the person who trashed your room?”

Perry laughed. Somehow they always knew a little bit about what she was thinking.

“Yeah. In fact, I’m going to head to my room right now, I need to grab a few things for my Muggle Studies class.”

“Sure, you want me to come?” LaFontaine asked quietly, loosening their grip on her hand.

Perry gripped it tight and turned in shock at them.

“Of course! Why would I not want you to come?” Perry asked offended.

“Because of yesterday,” LaFontaine said slowly. “I was going to go to the library with you, but you told me to hang back.”

“Look,” Perry said rubbing her thumb on their hand. “That was because it wasn’t that of a deal and that it was just a quick run there and back. It was also something I had to do on my own. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Something you had to do on your own?” LaFontaine said slipping their hand out of Perry’s and they stopped walking. “What are you not telling me?”

Perry realized that there was no way to spin this without telling them that they were hiding something.

“Nothing,” she tried saying calmly. “I just needed to do a little bit of research, and I didn’t want to drag you along for a quick page opener.”

“Out of all the people in the world, you know that there’s no one better than me to help you with whatever you were researching.”

“You’re right,” Perry said. “I’m sorry. I was just stressing out and I wasn’t thinking straight at that time. I don’t know why I did what I did, I can’t even remember what I was thinking when I did that. Forgive me?”

Perry reached for their hand and gripped it in hers. LaFontaine looked like they were trying to stay mad, but from the way her face was changing, Perry knew that they were going to give in. Neither of them could stay mad at the other for too long. They’d known each other for so long and they knew each other so well, it was hard to stay mad.

“Yes,” they sighed. “I forgive you. And as far as I knew, your head is never straight”

Perry smiled wide and kissed them.

LaFontaine smiled and then kissed her back.

Perry pulled back and LaFontaine looked a little confused.

“What is it?” they asked.

Perry laughed.

“It’s nothing. I just know that if I don’t stop now, I’ll never get my stuff from my room and I’ll be late and unprepared for my class.”

LaFontaine pushed her against the nearest wall.

“So?” they said starting to lean in.

Perry looked at their lips and was very tempted to, but then she saw something move out the corner of her eye. She looked up.

“Wait.” Perry said pushing LaFontaine away.

LaFontaine sighed.

Perry walked around her and looked around the corner. The entrance to her dormitory was right there and also, she saw someone who shouldn’t be hanging around there, hanging around there.

“Do you know where Laura went after Potions?” Perry asked.

“She went to Charms.” LaFontaine said. “Why?”

“Because,” Perry turned to LaF. “Look at who is lingering around my dorm entrance.”

Perry pointed to Carmilla pacing back and forth in front of the entrance.

“She’s probably waiting for Laura,” LaFontaine said.

“I don’t think so,” Perry said her voice full of suspicion. “Laura has Charms right now, right? And I know that after that she has Transfiguration and then she has Muggle studies with me. You think that Carmilla would wait for her for that long to return to her room?”

LaFontaine looked at her like she was crazy.

The Hufflepuff door opened and a girl with blonde hair in Hufflepuff robes, Perry knew her as Alex, came out and walked straight to Carmilla.

Perry signaled at LaFontaine to be quiet. Perry leaned her ear around the corner to try and hear what was going on.

“So?” Carmilla asked..

“I….it. It’s wasn’t where I…. was.” Alex was speaking so quietly that Perry could barely hear her.

Carmilla sighed.

“Great, she’s gonna kill me.”

“I’m sorry. I… again… I know…. exists. I’ve… before.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Carmilla said. “I’ll get it done. I just hope that I’m not dead before I try. You have no idea.”

“I know,” Alex said now speaking clearly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could do more to help.”

“You’ve already done enough,” Carmilla said with a little annoyance in her voice. “You couldn’t get it the first time.”

“I told you,” Alex said speaking lower again. “...came...out…couldn’t…”

Carmilla shook her head.

“I really am sorry, Carmilla.” Alex sounded like she had a little fear in her voice.

“Yeah, whatever. Doesn’t matter. She probably would’ve killed me anyways.”

“She’s not going to kill you.” 

“You don’t know her like I do.”

Alex put her hand on Carmilla’s shoulder, she flinched and shook it off.

“Carm…” Alex said.

“Don’t call me that,” she sneered and he eyes daggered into Alex’s. “Ever.”

“Sorry,” Alex said as Carmilla started to walk away. “I really did try.”

“I know,” Carmilla said. “I’m just going to have to face her now.”

They both walked away and out of sight without another word.

Perry came out from behind corner and stared out at the spot where she last saw them. What had just happened and what were they up too?

“That was weird.” LaFontaine stated.

“Yeah, it was. I don’t like her.” Perry replied.

“Who? Alex?”

“No. Alex is pretty cool. She’s always been super sweet to everyone. It’s Carmilla I’m talking about. She’s so sketchy.”

“You wanna find out what she was up too?” LaFontaine asked excitedly.

Perry knew that this was LaFontaine’s area of expertise. They could deal with all the weirdness of things. Perry on the other hand sometimes had a harder time dealing with it. About a year ago, LaFontaine discovered that one their teachers was a vampire that was feeding of students and erasing their memories. She had never killed any of them, but parents were still very uncomfortable with a vampire as a teacher.

“I don’t know,” Perry sighed. “I’m just worried.”

“About what?”

“Laura.”

“Oh, yeah. She’s been talking to her a lot lately. Did you see her go after her after potions and then again in the library?”

Perry turned her head.

“I thought you said you didn’t notice!” she asked shocked.

“Well, I only said that because of the fact that there were people around and I don’t need Carmilla Karnstein on my case in any way.”

“Oh,” Perry said. “You think she knows what I said?”

“No. I don’t really know of anyone that would tell her, but still. Not only is she the headmistress’s daughter, she’s really sketch and no one really knows much about her. She seems like the kind of person you wouldn’t want to be your enemy.”

“True.” Perry said.

“I to go to class now, I’ll see you later. Let me know if you want to do any sort of digging.” LaFontaine said as they kissed Perry and started walking back towards the classrooms.

“Yeah, I will.” 

Perry walked into the Hufflepuff dormitory. Everything was normal. She went up to her room and everything was just as she last had it. Good.

She took a seat on the couch in the common room and started studying for her Muggle Studies class which she had next class when Alex walked into the room.

She looked tired and slightly confused.

“Hey Alex,” Perry said.

“Hi, Perry.” she said softly.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Alex mumbled. “Just really tired.”

“Just tired?” Perry asked. “Is that really it?”

Alex sighed and looked at Perry. Perry patted down the spot next to her. Hesitantly, Alex walked over and took a seat next to her.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“Not really,” Alex lounged back in the chair. “I’m just having some personal issues that I’m not sure how to deal with.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Alex shifted uncomfortably. She stared at the door like she was worried someone was going to barge through it and she didn’t want to be caught.

“A friend of mine- who I really like- is going through some parent troubles and I’m trying to help them out with it, but I’m not sure I’m really doing it right or if I’m even helping them at all.

Perry was a little taken aback, this was not what she expected. Perry stared at Alex. She really wanted to get some info on what she and Carmilla had been up to.

“And I want to help them, but I think I’m going about it all wrong.”

“What makes you think you’re going about it wrong?” Perry asked.

Alex sighed. She looked like she was trying to think of a way to answer it.

“I don’t really want to talk about this right now, Perry. I’m sorry.”

“Ok, well,” Perry said. She wanted to find out what she was doing with Carmilla, but she really didn’t think she should push her. “Is there anything else that’s bothering you?”

“Well…” Alex said. “I’m failing Potions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in a while. School has been sooo crazy. I also had been dealing with a crazy girl who was my friend until she lied to me about her entire life.


	6. Don't Reveal It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit starts to get real. Carmilla thinks she going crazy, Kirsch tells Danny and Lafontaine is hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the really long not posting thing. I've been busy with school and I have a lot of stuff this summer for school.

**Carmilla (6)**

God. What was wrong with her? Flirting with Laura Hollis. Of all the people in the world, it had to be a perky, talkative Hufflepuff named Laura Hollis. What was Carmilla thinking? Well… She was absolutely adorable, at the same time, she was completely hot when was wasn’t being a dork. She wanted to see the best in everyone including Carmilla. God, stop, just stop.

Carmilla’s mind was reeling. Whhhhhhyyyyyyyy????

Carmilla didn’t even really like her, but she liked her. Ugh. This was getting too complicated for her mind to process. Laura didn’t even like her. Well, she wanted to be friends and that did not seem to be going well because of how she was. Carmilla didn’t really have “friends”. She’d dated a few girls here before, but never really had any friends. And the girls she usually dated ended up disappearing, like.. 

Carmilla shook her head. She would not think about her, she would not think about what happened. The past was in the past and there was nothing she could do about it. She could only focus on the now. And right now, she was totally screwed.

She needed to get her hands on the necklace. She had no idea why her mother wanted it, only that it was something taken from her family a long time ago. If she didn’t get it back somehow.. She didn’t want to think of how pissed off her mother would be.

That damn Hufflepuff room. One of the safest dorms in the school and it was almost impossible to get if you weren’t a Hufflepuff. Though, she did have one of those up her sleeve. Alex had always been pretty chill around Carmilla and they weren’t friends, per say, but she was someone that Carmilla could half-rely on. They’d made out a few times, but nothing more. Carmilla wasn’t into her that way.

She was really pissed when Alex couldn’t find it the first time and now after the second time, she knew she was screwed.

She reached the entrance to her mother’s office and took a  huge breath.

“ _ Butterbeer _ .” Carmilla said and the giant eagle statue started turning until it became a long staircase.

She reached the top of the stairs and knocked on the door. She was not happy about having to do this. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t get into the stupid Hufflepuff dorm. Why did she have to do it?

“Come in.” she heard her mother say. Aw shit.

Carmilla opened the door and walked into the familiar dungeon. It wasn’t an actually a dungeon, but she always felt like it was when she entered.

“Hello mother,” Carmilla walked in with her head high and she smoothly walked towards her mother’s desk.

“Carmilla, darling,” she said with a smile, but Carmilla knew that she didn’t actually mean it. “What do you need?”

Carmilla shook her head at herself.

“I couldn’t find… what you wanted.” Carmilla said slowly and carefully.

Her mother looked at her blanked face. Showing no sign of expression and Carmilla was running over again and again in her mind what her possible reactions might be. Why did she have to do this? Why did she have to be the headmistress’s daughter? It was funny because that’s the last thing people thought when people first met her, then again, not a lot of people wanted to meet her or know her. Except for.. Well, why did Laura want to get to know her?

“You couldn’t find it, huh?” her mother’s smiling words no longer there.

“No, I tried, but she must’ve hidden it really well. The stupid neat-freak mudblood knows how to hide things well apparently.” Carmilla said with disgust.

“Keep trying.” her mother said

“Keep trying? You want me to keep trying? I have other things to do and I have places to go, I’m not your work dog.”

Her mother’s eyes flared anger and annoyance. Carmilla huffed and turned to head out the door. Her mother snapped her fingers and the door closed in her face.

“I know how not busy you are,” her mother said calmly and Carmilla stopped. “I can be sure to make you very busy, if you don’t get it soon. I’m sure the Quidditch team is looking for a player to be a seeker since their current one sucks. I do remember quite well how well you flew when you were younger.”

She turned to her mother.

“You know why I don’t fly,” she said angrily. “And you can’t make me tryout. I’m done doing your work and done listening to you.”

“You don’t think so,” she heard her mother get up out of her chair. “You have a week, Carmilla. One week until you either bring me what I need or you tryout for the Slytherin quidditch team. Otherwise…”

Carmilla jumped as her mother apparated in front of her. She felt a sharp pain come across her face.

“You’ll be punished for your disrespect and your attitude.” she said threateningly.

Carmilla pushed her mother out of the way and barged out the door.

What a bitch. Carmilla couldn’t take her, and she didn’t know what to do. It was her mother for god's sake. She just couldn’t. Couldn’t deal with her right now. She didn’t want to deal with her ever. What in the world did she do to end up with a mother like hers.

She walked into the quad and briskly walked through the crowds until she reached her quad. It was almost always empty and almost always silent. She loved it here. She could focus.

She looked around and checked to see if anyone was around, then opened to bushes to reveal her spot… And Laura. Great.

“Omigod,” Laura said surprised. “Hi. Sorry. I didn’t think you’d come here later since you were here before already. Well, you were here and then you left and now you’re back. If you want some privacy, I can leave. Or I can stay if you want. I don’t know what you want. but I didn’t think you’d come here again, and what not. I’m sorry, I’m talking too much.”

Carmilla raised her eyebrow and walked over to Laura. Carmilla wouldn’t have expected her to see her here considering that she had said no the first time with the excuse that she had class.

“It’s okay cutie,” Carmilla said shaking off her anger and annoyance from her mother. She sat down next to Laura and placed her arm around the back of the chair while looking Laura in the eye. “I don’t mind you being here. I did, after all, bring you here. Figured you couldn’t stay away.”

“What?” Laura blushed. “Like I said, I didn’t know you were going to be here. I’m not following you or waiting for you or anything, that’d just be weird.”

Carmilla laughed.

“I wasn’t talking about not staying away from me, I meant, this place. But, since you’re going there, there is that too. Couldn’t stay away, huh?”

Laura blushed and Carmilla had to smile at herself. She loved it when Laura blushed and go all flustered.

“What? No,” she rambled. “I was just looking for somewhere quiet to study and relax. Not you, I didn’t even know you would be here.”

“How could you not guess I wouldn’t be here, cupcake? After all, I’m the one who showed you this private spot and I told you I’d be here, remember? When you wanted help with Potions.”

Laura looked at the ground like she was trying to remember.

“Well,” Carmilla said looking back her book. “So much for class.”  
“What?” Laura looked really confused.

“You said you couldn’t come here because you had class.” Carmilla sighed.

“You think I had it all day?” Laura said with an attitude. “No, I just meant that I couldn’t go at that time because I had class at that time. When you asked I thought you meant right away.”

“Well yes,” Carmilla said. “But you could’ve suggested later.”

Laura rolled her eyes at Carmilla.

“What?” Carmilla said annoyed.

“Why are you blaming me when you could’ve done the same thing?” Laura said snappily.

“I-” Carmilla stopped. Laura was right, she could’ve asked to, but she didn’t. That was because she didn’t want to seem desperate, and after what she said to Laura last time they were here, she didn’t want to give Laura that impression.

Carmilla looked at Laura and said something she’d never said to anyone but her mother, and maybe Elle… She always avoided saying them.

“You’re right,” she said quickly. “I could’ve. Whatever though.”

Laura seemed to stand up straighter. 

“Thank you.” she said.

Carmilla went back to her book. What was it about this girl that Carmilla couldn’t help but like and be attracted too? 

Carmilla scooted to the opposite side of the bench and put her feet up towards Laura almost touching her. Carmilla pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts book and started reading on page 394 to read up on werewolves.

Carmilla tired to focus but couldn’t with Laura sitting with her in her spot. She kept pretending to look at her book, but she was really observing Laura. Laura pulled out her potions book and started reading. After a while, she started looking really confused and Carmilla wanted to laugh, but at the same time she didn’t want Laura to be aware of her watching her. But…

Carmilla moved her head up and then laughed.

“You look a little lost cupcake.”

Laura looked up at her and Carmilla sat up and scooted close to her. Probably a little too close for Laura because she fell off the bench and onto the ground. Carmilla couldn’t help but laugh and after the initial shock, Laura did too.

“A little clumsy buttercup?” Carmilla said.

“No,” Laura said half-stubborn, half-laughing. “You pushed me off.”

Carmilla knew that that wasn’t the case, but she decided she would let it go for now and not bring up the scooting away.

“I’m so confused on some of these topics and recipes. You said you were good at potions, can you explain?”

“Sure,” Carmilla smirked. “Just don’t fall off the bench.”

**Kirsch**

Kirsch couldn’t help but continue smiling after their potions lab, and it just got worse when he started heading to the library to get help from Danny on their report.

He’d never thought of Danny as more than a hot, annoying Quidditch player, but after she had been nice to him, laugh with him instead of at him, he was really starting to like her more than he already did. And it totally made her hotter. Plus, she could be a total bro sometimes.

He walked into the library and looked around.

He found Danny sitting in the west wing of the library, books everywhere and she was passed out on the table.

Kirsch walked up to her and poked her, she didn’t wake.

“Danny,” he said and shook her arm.

She groaned a little bit, but still didn’t wake up.

“Danny,” he said again and shook her arm even harder.

“The reason was because muggle can’t see…” Danny snapped up and then looked around. ‘I’m... not in Muggle Studies right now... Kirsch?”

“Hey, sorry to wake you, but I figured you would want me to wake you and you said you would help me with Potions.”

“Oh,” Danny shook her head. “Right. You can sit, sorry about all the books.”

Danny started stacking them all up on the table, making room for Kirsch. He slowly sat down with hesitation that Danny would start teasing him for something.

“Get grin off your face,” Danny said without looking up from her book.

Kirsch didn’t even know he was grinning until he felt his lips pull down from it. There was something off about Danny though. She didn’t seem like herself.

“So…” Danny looked up him. “What do you need help in?”

Kirsch stared at her and felt his head turn like a puppy looking at someone. Yep. Something was definitely wrong.

“What?” she asked snappy. “Do I look funny or something?”

“No,” Kirsch said immediately and then looked at his book.

Danny looked down and her book, and Kirsch couldn’t help it. His curiosity was getting the best of him right now.

“You doing okay bro?” Kirsch asked.

Danny looked up and stared daggers at him.

“What makes you think I’m not okay  _ bro _ ? And what makes you think that I’d even tell you? Of all the people in the world, you would not be at the top of my list of people to confide in, so mind your own damn business and let’s focus on potions.”

Kirsch felt like a deer in headlights. Sure Kirsch was not the best body language reader person, whatever you call them, but his instincts which were really good, was telling him that something was wrong. She was fine after Potions.

“Kirsch,” Danny’s voice was softer now. “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that. I’m just not in the best mood right now. I- I saw something that I really did not expect at all, and it’s just been bothering me for a while. I can’t shake it. I don’t know what happened.”

Kirsch nodded. He didn’t really know what to say. Sure, he’d comforted his bros after a break-up, a bad grade or other things a couple of times, but this was a girl in front of him. He wasn’t really sure how to handle it, so he decided to wing it.

“S’all good,” Kirsch said pretending it didn’t affect him. “If you need to vent, you can vent. Besides, who would I tell anyways.”

“Your friends?” Danny said venomously.

Kirsch was offended even was his werewolf temper told a hold of him, he had never spilt a secret out of anger or anything.

“Bro, I’m not that kind of person. I can keep quiet. Believe me, there a lot of things that people tell me, that I have never told anyone else.”

“Prove it,” Danny challenged.

Kirsch opened his mouth, but then closed it. Was Danny just fishing for secrets? He sure wasn’t going to give her that, but there was something he could tell her that wasn’t a secret anymore.

“You remember when Will came out the closet?” Kirsch asked.

“Will? Will Karnstein? The dean’s son from Slytherin?”

Kirsch nodded.

“Hmmm… Makes you wonder if the dean has something to do with her children’s sexuality. That can’t be a coincidence.”

“It is,” Kirsch said. “The dean has two other children. They graduated out of here a while ago and both are straight.”

“Hmmm,” Danny said. “So, you were gonna prove that you were trustworthy.”

“Yeah well, Will told me about coming about before he actually came out. He trusted me not to tell anyone, and that he would do it himself. Took a couple months, but he did it eventually and I was so happy for him.”

“A couple months?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, it was a hard time, he remembered watching his sister go through some though times when she people found out about her, although she did never try to hide it and she didn’t seem to care if people knew or not.”

“That’s an easy one, come on, give me something good.”

“No,” Kirsch said. “That’s all I got that won’t affect anyone else.”

Danny stared at him for a while then opened her mouth, close it, then opened it again. Kirsch guessed that she was having an internal debate whether or not to talk to him or not. Which Kirsch didn’t mind considering the fact that they only become somewhat-friends a couple of hours ago.

“It’s Laura.” Danny finally said.

“Little-hottie Laura?” Kirsch realized that that was a dumb question. What other Laura was there. He had to play it off. “You two dating yet? You’ve both been into each other for years.”

Danny shook her head. Kirsch realized that that was a bad play.

“I think she’s over it.” Danny said. “But I’m not. I was going to ask her out after Potions, I waited for her to finish up, but…”

Danny hung her head. She really was opening herself up to him.

“What?” Kirsch scooted his chair towards Danny, and put his hand on her arm.

“She was talking to that snake, Carmilla. They seemed to be having fun and she seemed to flirt with her and Carmilla made her turn red. I made her turn red, but not anymore, even before class she would barely talk to me or look at me. I don’t know what happened. Was I too late? Did I do something wrong?”

Kirsch put his other arm around her as she started to tear up.

“I’m sure it’s not you,” Kirsch said. “It’s probably just her and I can tell you right now that Laura would have to be stupid not to go out with you. You’re funny, strong and not to mention, you’re pretty hot.”

Danny laughed and sat up straighter. 

“And maybe Laura was waiting for you, but now she’s thinking it’s time to move on. But, you should do something about it and tell her how you feel.”

Danny looked at him. She was no longer the sad, vulnerable Danny. She seemed a little more normal, but there was as strange look in her eye.

“Maybe you’re right,” Danny said. “And maybe it’s time for me to move on too.”

She reached at Kirsch’s arm on hers and held his hand.

Kirsch’s heart started to race. What was going on?

“Thanks Kirsch, you really are a good guy. I’m sorry I was harsh on you, but what can I say. You’re a Zeta and you harmed my player.”

“Yeah,” Kirsch said nervously. “Maybe I did deserve it.”

“But, I forgive you for it,” Danny started to lean closer to Kirsch. “And we can be… friends.”

“Friends?” Kirsch mumbled. She was getting closer and his mind was starting to spin. He couldn’t think straight.

“Maybe.” Danny said. “Thanks.”

“For?” Kirsch asked.

Then Danny pressed her lips against his. Kirsch was weirded out for a sec, then he started to melt into it. He liked it. He felt her hands come up behind his head, urging him to come closer, even though they were probably as close as they could get being in the library chairs.

Her lips were warm and soft, but her kisses we aggressive and playful. Kirsch thought it was so hot. He felt everything differently for her. Why though? Why was Danny- Danny Lawrence kissing him? Of all the people in the world as she put it.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he didn’t want to stop and it seemed like Danny didn’t want to either.

What was he doing? What did this mean? What was he getting himself into to? How would his bros feel? Why was he thinking out this now? He was kissing one of the hottest girls in the school right now. Why was he thinking at all?

He felt something weird inside him though. He started to get more aggressive with every kiss. He wanted to kiss her harder and tear her clothes off, but… He felt his eyes change color. Great. Another side affect of what he was. His dad warned him about getting roused up, but he thought he was just talking about getting angry, he probably should’ve mentioned this. Oh crap. He remember when he was little and seeing claw marks on his mom’s arm. Nope. Nope. Nope. He did not want to do that to Danny. Oh no. Wait. He did remember his dad saying something, that he could control it most of the time, but when he first… He couldn’t. And sometimes near the event of a full moon before and after it was hard. He needed to stop before he got out of hand.

“Danny?” Kirsch heard someone behind them, but apparently Danny didn’t because she didn’t stop to look up and see who it was. Come on, Danny. Kirsch thought. Look up.

The person behind him loudly cleared their throat and Danny immediately looked up and backed away from Kirsch. The moment had ended. Kirsch was stunned and out of breath.

“Perry!” Danny said a little too enthusiastically. “What’s goin’ on?”

Kirsch turned around and saw the Hufflepuff with a quizzical look on her face and then it changed to shock when she looked at Kirsch.

“Hey Puffy, how’s it goin’?” Kirsch smiled.

Perry couldn’t speak for a moment then looked at Danny.

“I was just looking for you because I couldn’t find Laura and I’d thought she’d be with you. Obviously I was wrong. Do you know where she is?”

“Probably with that snake lab partner of hers.” Danny said nonchalantly.

Perry nodded her head.

“Oookkkay. Thanks.” she said and then walked away.

Danny looked at Kirsch.

“So much for that being a secret.” Danny shrugged.

“Ummm…” Kirsch said.

“I think you’re funny Kirsch, but let’s not talk about it right now, okay? It happened, and it might happen again. Are you okay with that?”

“Sure,” Kirsch said. “I’m good with it.”

“Good,’ Danny said. “But let’s not talk or tell anyone else and when word get around, play it off like it was no big deal, okay?”

“Yup, got it.”

Danny opened her potions book.

“Wanna talk about our lab now?” Danny asked.

“Danny,” Kirsch said without thinking. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Please, don’t tell me that you’re gay.  
“NO!” Kirsch yelled immediately. “But if this is going to happen again…”

What was he doing? Was he actually going to tell her? Kirsch started to feel himself sweat and was nervous scratching the underside of the table. Could he even get the words out?

“Kirsch… What?” Danny looked at him with concern. This only happened once, he couldn’t tell her. Why should he? Maybe some other time, but now… He just couldn’t.

“Well… My bros would kill me if they found out about us, so I think we should keep on the down low for a while, ya know? Just for a while, until I can tell them myself.”

Danny stared at him blankly.

“Danny?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said quickly. “That’s fine, but you should do it soon, Perry will probably tell LaF who will tell Laura who is probably going to tell that Slytherin friend of hers and then next thing you know, everyone knows because of Fang-face telling everyone because of her fascination of Laura.”

Danny was practically growling at the last word. Kirsch knew that Danny probably still wasn’t over Laura, but he could wait. He could help her move on. And he would. He like Danny, a lot and he really wanted to help her out. But he would eventually have to… tell her.

“Shit!” Danny shouted.

Kirsch jumped out of his seat.

“I’m so sorry Kirsch, but I have to get going to Quidditch practice, we can work on Potions later. I promise… Or not work on Potions.”

She kissed his cheek and ran out.

“Danny,” Kirsch whispered under his breath. “I’m a werewolf.” 

Too bad she wasn already gone.

 

**LaFontaine**

Sure, the conversation she heard between Alex and Carmilla was a little sketchy, but they thought that Perry was over reacting. Being too protective of Laura like she always was and she was probably still paranoid from the fact that someone had broken into her stuff, but didn’t take anything.

LaFontaine knew Alex and that she was too sweet to ever do something like that unless… No, it wasn’t possible to use that kind of magic with the walls of the school. I mean, you could, but it would be a very bad idea and you would probably be caught within a few minutes.

They shook their head. They couldn’t think about it. They couldn’t think about it. They wouldn’t think about it.

They focused on their walk to the library and the fact that they were about to go see Perry’s smiling, beautiful face.

“LaFontaine!” they jumped and turned to see Perry behind a bookshelf like she was hiding from something.

“Perry? What are y-?” Perry grabbed their arm and pulled them behind the bookshelf.

“Shhhhh!” she said.

“What?” LaFontaine chuckled. “Why are we hiding behind a bookshelf whispering?”

“I saw something. Something unexpected and I’m not sure how I feel about it and I’m not sure if I should tell you or anyone else because what if it hurts someone that we know? What it that someone does not take the news well? I just can’t stand the thought of-”

“Perry,” LaFontaine placed her hand over her mouth. “Breath. What’s going on? What did you see? Is it really that bad?”

Perry took a deep breath and took out her hand sanitizer and started to furiously rub it in her hands, and then on her face. LaFontaine didn’t understand how that didn’t sting or it didn’t taste gross at all.

“You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you.” she sounded half excited, half terrified. 

LaFontaine nodded and looked at Perry eager to hear what she had to say.

“I saw Danny and Kirsch over there,” Perry pointed to a table where only Kirsch sat now, looking like a sad little puppy. “Making out.”

LaFontaine fell from their crouch.

“What?!” she asked in surprise. “Are you sure?”

Perry nodded.

“I first I wasn’t sure, but then they both turned their faces to look at me, and they both looked shocked, but they didn’t seem bothered that of all the people to see them doing that, was me. I don’t know, maybe it’s been going on for a while…”

Perry sighed.

“What are we going to tell Laura? She really liked Danny.”

LaFontaine chuckled to themselves.

“I don’t think she’ll as heartbroken as you think she’ll be.”

“Why?” Perry asked. “Because of Carmilla? I don’t think that she’s good for her and that she should be hanging around her.”

“Why not?” LaFontaine complained. “Let Laura have a little fun.”

“I don’t want that fun to go to pieces and then guess who will be picking them up? We will. You remember how she was when her first owl died?”

LaFontaine remembered how sad she was, and it took a while for them to get her to move on and buy a new one. What would happen if Carmilla broke her heart?

“You’re right, but I don’t want to interfere. I say that we just keep a close eye on the both of them and if something starts to go sideways, we can step in.”

Perry looked as if she was contemplating the proposal. LaF knew that she wanted to stop it even before there was a chance for it to happen, but they knew that Laura would get really mad if they intervened.

“Fine.” Perry finally said.

They both stood up.

“So,” LaFontaine said. “Who’s gonna tell Laura?”

Perry blinked.

“You of course.”

LaFontaine grumbled.

“Let’s go. Let’s get it over with. Where do you think Laura is right now?”

Perry sighed.

“I last saw her talking to Carmilla after Potions. I might have eavesdropped and heard something about meeting later a ‘spot’ of some sort. I still don’t trust her, especially after seeing her outside of my dormitory earlier today. There’s something about her that I just don’t trust.”

Maybe it’s just the fact that she’s messing around with your little frosh, LaFontaine thought to herself. Perry was very protective of her friends. She didn’t really grow up with parents that always looked after her. She was often left alone because her dad and mom both worked so much that it was really LaFontaine’s parents that raised her. 

Perry didn’t tell much about her family to LaFontaine even though they had been friends since forever. 

On the opposite side, LaFontaine used to love her parents. But the day they came out about their sexuality, they weren’t as supportive as they would have hoped. In fact, they pushed her to be “normal”, but they wouldn’t have any of it. They stopped going home as often as they could’ve, and only went for two or three days at a time during the holidays, they would then usually spend the rest of their days with Perry at her house. Her parents were only home for two days at time for the big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their parents thought that LaFontaine had just decided to go back to Hogwarts when they were really only a few houses away with their best friend.

They remembered the worst day she could’ve had with her parents.

They were packing up and getting ready to go Perry’s, but her parents had been insisting that she stay for a couple more days, but LaFontaine knew what would happen if they did, they could barely stand to stay for the few days they were there.

“Susan, honey, please stay for just a few more days. We really miss you.”

“Mom,” LaFontaine said. “I have a train to catch and like I said before, I will stay when you and dad start using my real name and the proper pronouns. It hurts. It really hurts every time you don’t, you don’t even understand.”

“Honey,” her mother reached out to touch her arm, but LaFontaine pulled away. “Susan is your real name and you are a lady. There is no inbetween. There are men and there are women, there is no other no matter how many times you see it on tv or in the news. God created a man and a woman, you have to be one or the oth-”

“Mom!” LaFontaine interjected. “We’ve had this conversation a thousand times. You don’t understand and you refuse to understand. There is an other.”

“And we will continue to have this conversation a thousand times more until you start to get it.” Her dad showed up from upstairs, blocking them from the front door.

LaFontaine wanted to scream.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll see you for Thanksgiving next year.”

They went to move around their dad to the front door, but he continued to block their path to the exit.

“Dad,” LaFontaine complained.

“Susan,” he said. “We only want to understand and we want the best for you.”

LaFontaine looked at the ground, they would never understand and they couldn’t make them. 

“Just let me go, dad.”

“No, Susan, please. Can we just sit down and talk about this?”

LaFontaine was done, this happened almost every time except they would usually let them go by the third plea. Something was different this time. They didn’t know what it was, but something was different.

“We’ve talked about this a million times dad! I’m done talking about it and the only time I’ll ever sit down and talk about it again is when you and mom accept who I am! I need to leave, just let me go.”

“You will not yell at me like that young lady! I am your father,” he stopped yelling and softened up. “You will respect me and listen to me, please just sit down.”

“No,” LaFontaine said furiously. They wanted to cry. They wanted to scream. They needed to get out of there. “I. Am. Done. I will not talk about this unless you will accept who I am.”

“But it’s not who you are,” her mother finally spoke again. “I read some stuff online and it says that you are g-”

“STOP!” LaFontaine yelled. “Those studies mean nothing. I know who I am, I know what I am, and I am not going to change because of some stupid fucking studies that you pulled off of some shitty internet website. They mean nothing.”

That’s what was new. Their parents had done some research. Bullshit research that meant nothing. No kind of research could tell you who you were.

They pushed past their dad with an unexpected force and ran out the door. They ran as fast as they could down the street, but there was no need because when they turned around their parents weren’t there.

“You okay LaF, honey?” 

They blinked and saw Perry staring at them. They had been daydreaming while walking through the halls of the school.

“Yeah,” they mumbled. “Fine.”

“I found Laura.”

“Where?”

“She’s over there by the tree, reading,” Perry smiled. “And no Carmilla in sight.”

Sure enough, Laura Hollis was sitting underneath a tree with a lamp beside her reading. But LaFontaine was looking at her expression. She wasn’t reading at all. As they walked over, she hadn’t even turned the page. She looked surprised, scared, confused and happy all in one expression.

Was this a good time to tell her about Danny and Kirsch? Probably not, but they knew that Perry wouldn’t see her expression and insist on telling her now rather than her hearing it from someone else, so they let it go. Better now than later.

“Well… Here we go.” LaFontaine said and approached Laura who did not notice them coming.

And for once in her life, they didn’t know how Laura would react because of her new potions partner which was probably more than just her potions partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please leave your comments about my work or if there are any corrections that need to be made. :)


	7. Can You Keep A Secret?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get heated and relationships take turns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been sooooo busy with school. Yeah, I had school over the summer. It was actually pretty great, a lot better than I had expected it go.

_ Ch. 7 _

 

**Laura**

She was so flustered being around Carmilla, she couldn’t believe that she fell off the bench just because Carmilla was trying to look at the book. But then again… She did get a little closer than she probably should have.

They talked Potions until it got dark and Laura finally understood why Carmilla was good at it and why she did what she wanted to do with their potion during class. She really understood the stuff like no one else, not even Perry and LaFontaine.

“So, you get it now, cupcake?”

Laura hated being wrong.

“That scrunched up make you make when you’re angry is hilarious, buttercup.”

She stuck her tongue out of mouth. Crap. That was childish.

Carmilla chuckled.

“I’m curious,” Laura said and Carmilla sighed.

“Aren’t you always curious?” she said acting uninterested, but her face told a whole different story. She tried to act like she didn’t care, but the way she was looking at Laura made her feel like there was something there.

“Yes, I am.  Don’t make fun of my brain.” Laura said defensively.

“I like your brain,” Carmilla said with a smirk. “It’s always so… Interesting.”

She liked her brain? What was the supposed to mean? She found it interesting? What? Huh? Laura was trying to cool off her mind before she retaliated with an answer.

“Like I said, I’m  _ curious _ ,” Laura emphasized. “What made you change your mind?”

“About what?”

Laura’s heart started to race.

“Me.”

“What’da mean sweetheart?” Carmilla was obviously trying to play this off cooly.

“Why did you change your mind about me? You obviously didn’t like me at first.”

“Now who said I liked you?” Carmilla smirked.

God. This girl was frustrating. This hot, gorgeous girl was so frustrating. She shook her head. Pull yourself together Hollis and girl the hell up, Laura thought.

“Well then, if you don’t like me then why am I here? I can leave.”

Laura started to get up, but she felt something grab her hand. It was Carmilla’s hand that was wrapped around hers.

She could’ve sworn that for a moment Carmilla looked sad and disappointed, but when she blinked she had her natural smirk and batting eyelashes.

“Cupcake,” she yanked Laura forward. Laura’s face was inches from Carmilla’s and her heart really started to race. “You should know me by know, I’m just messing with you.”

The you in that sentence blew in her face and Laura smelt mint with.. something else. Was it blood? Before Laura could take another sniff, Carmilla let go of Laura’s hand and pulled herself away to a normal distance.

Laura straightened up.

“And you should know by now, that I am messing with you too.” Laura said impressed with herself.

Carmilla quickly shot up and was slowly walking towards Carmilla. Laura kept backing up until she ran into the bushes which she found out were vines that had grown onto a wall. She choose the wrong way to back up because she felt a sharp pain on her back. With Carmilla so close though, she could ignore it.

“Oh creampuff,” Carmilla whispered. “You really shouldn’t play games with me.”

Laura was completely back up against the wall with Carmilla’s hands placed against the wall, her arms blocking Laura from escaping from the sides.

Laura almost forgot how to breath. She really got to study Carmilla up closely. Her lips were perfectly sculpted except for a small scar on her upper lip, her jaw line was so sharp that she thought she might cut herself on it and her eyes… They glowed in the last remaining light from the setting sun and even though there was barely any light, her lashes seemed to glow and spark. Gorgeous couldn’t even describe this girl. She was magnificent. There was something about her that made Laura just want to kiss her right there, but she barely knew the girl even though she was incredibly…

“Whatcha thinking about cutie?” Carmilla asked in a low seductive voice.

Laura hadn’t realized that time had passed and that she was staring. She was at a loss for words, her mouth was dry and she couldn’t speak.

“Cat got your tongue,” Carmilla chuckled like she was sharing a private joke to herself.

“I’m not meaning to play games,” Laura said finally releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“Mmmm-hmmm,” Carmilla said still not moving from where she was.

“Well,” Laura said finally getting her head back together. “Maybe I am playing games, but it’s because I can’t help myself when you’re around.”

Or her head was just getting more messed up.

“Oh, you can’t help yourself can you?” She smirked that signature smirk of hers and it almost made Laura swoon.

A ring went off and the both of them jumped. Carmilla growled at the sound and it kept ringing. It took a moment for Laura to realize that it was her phone and she ducked underneath Carmilla’s arms and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hey it’s JP.” Laura almost grumbled, but held it back.

“What’s up?”

“I’ve been trying to find you for a while and I’ve heard some weird things. I kind of want to talk to you.”

“I’m kind of busy with Potions right now.” Laura said quickly. Her eyes glanced at Carmilla who was just standing there watching Laura and now she felt self-conscious.

The common room at 9?” 

Laura saw Carmilla turn and start to look at the flowers on the bushes. She felt a little less self-conscious, but something told her that Carmilla was still watching her.

“Ummmm… Yeah. Sounds good.” Laura said quickly.

Carmilla reached in her pocket and grabbed her phone out.

“Okay, I’ll see you then. Bye.”

“See ya.” Laura said and then hung up the phone.

“Thanks for the study sess, buttercup. I have to go.”  
“Go?” Laura asked.

“Yeah. Mother wants something from me and I can’t exactly ignore it.”

Laura’s heart fell. Their time tonight was over.

“Yeah,” Laura said and looked at her watch. It was only 8 o’clock. “I’ve got some stuff to do to anyways.”

“Be careful tonight cutie, and get that cut on your back checked out. I’ll see you around tomorrow.” Carmilla winked and then in one swift movement had gone through the bushes.

“See ya tomorrow.” Laura sighed.

Wait. See you tomorrow? That means that Carmilla still wanted to hang out with her. Laura’s heart soared.

She walked out the garden and didn’t go far before she needed to sit down and think. She was so confused about this girl. What exactly was going on? Were they becoming friends?

Laura sighed and opened her Potions book, but she saw that Carmilla had marked a few notes on it and it only made her think about her more. Whatever was happening, Laura was happy about it, but there was something about their relationship that Laura was scared about. What was happening to her? She barely even knew of this girl’s existence a few days ago.

Laura felt like she wanted to bang her head against the wall.

“Hey Laura!”

Laura jumped like 3 feet in the air.

“Awww.. You scared her.” Laura heard Perry’s familiar voice and the looked up to see her familiar face.

“What?” LaFontaine said defensively. “It’s not like we open walking straight out in the open, right towards her where she could see us.”

“No,” Laura said to Perry. “It’s alright. I was just lost in my own thoughts.”

Laura felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She opened it up it was from Danny.

_ Danny 8:13: Hey, can we talk? _

_ Laura 8:13: Yeah, sure. When? _

_ Danny 8:14: Now? _

 

Laura looked up at LaFontaine and Perry.

“Laura we need to tell you something,” Perry said.

“Yeah, just let me answer the text?” Laura asked.

“Of course,” LaFontaine interjected before Perry could say anything. Laura gave her a grateful smile. As much as she loved Perry, she was very demanding sometimes.

Laura turned back to her phone.

 

_ Laura 8:16: Can we tomorrow? _

_ Danny 8:16: You sure you can’t talk today? _

_ Laura 8:16: Well… I have plans with JP soon.  _

_ Danny 8:16: It won’t take that long. Meet by your dorm in 20 minutes? _

Laura looked at the time and then looked up at an impatient Perry and a nervous LaFontaine. What was so urgent that they needed to talk to her about?

 

_ Laura 8:17: Ok. I’ll meet you in 20 minutes _

_ Danny 8:17: Great, see you soon :)\ _

_ Laura 8:17: :) _

 

Why was everyone needing to talk to her today?

She put her phone back in her pocket and stood up.

“Will this be quick? I have to be somewhere soon.”

“Yeah,” LaFontaine said stepping in front of Perry. “It’ll only take a second.”

LaFontaine’s face contorted like they were trying to think of what to say.

“Laura, well, you see… You’ve been busy lately, and distracted… And well, I don’t really know how to put this…”

Laura rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a child LaF,” Laura just wanted them to spit it out. “Just tell me.”

“This is a delicate situation, Laura and I don’t really have an easy way to put this because I’m not sure how you’ll react and how you’ll take i-”

“Perry?” Laura turned to the girl who looked like they were about to explode.

“I saw Danny making out with Kirsch in the library and it was not like they were trying to hide it or anything because they saw me and didn’t seem to care too much that I saw them and she seemed pissed off a-”

“Perry!” LaFontaine interrupted. 

Laura’s mouth dropped. What? Kirsch and Danny. Laura started to laugh.

Perry and LaFontaine looked at each other with concern, but Laura couldn’t help but keep laughing. It had to be a joke. Danny and Kirsch? Omigod, it was a good joke.

“Good joke guys, good joke.” Laura said still laughing.

“Laura,” LaFontaine said. Laura looked up and realized that neither of them was laughing with her. “It’s not a joke.”

Laura’s heart fell. Danny… What?

“No,” Laura almost felt tears come to her eyes. “It has to be a joke.”

“Laura, I’m sorry. She thinks that you’ve moved on.”

“Moved on?” Laura said, feeling her eyes well up. What made Danny think that she’s moved on? How-? What-? Why-?

No. Not Danny and Kirsch. No it just couldn’t be.

“Yeah, w-”

“Just stop.” Laura said. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. I was waiting for her to ask me out and I thought she was going to these past couple weeks, but… Kirsch?”

Laura picked up her stuff and started towards her dormitory.

Danny couldn’t do this to her. Why? What did Laura do to think that she didn’t want Danny to ask her out.

“Laura!” She had totally forgotten that Danny was going to be waiting for her. She wiped her tears away. She was pissed now. How could Danny do that to her?

Laura turned immediately towards her door completely ignoring Danny.

“Laura?” Danny ran after her and grabbed her shoulder forcing her to turn and face her.

“What do you want Danny?” Laura said probably a little too harshly.

Danny heard the tone and probably was scared by the look her face that she took a step back.

“Is everything alright?” Danny asked.

Laura was furious. 

“Alright?!” Laura fumed. “Am I okay that I just found out that you were making out with Kirsch in the library? No. I am definitely not okay. I had been waiting for you to ask me out, just waiting with nothing. And then I heard that you kis- no- made out with Kirsch? How could I be alright? Tell me. Huh? After all th-”

Laura’s rant was cut off by a pair of lips colliding with hers. At first she was still furious, but then she went with it. It didn’t feel right though. Something didn’t feel right. She’d been waiting for this for forever, but it wasn’t as magical was she thought it would be and after a few more seconds, she just wasn’t into it anymore.

Laura pulled away and looked at Danny in surprise. Not because she had just kissed her, but because Laura did not feel how she imagined she would.

Without a word, she quickly turned around and walked into her common room.

As soon as she was behind the door, she let a breath out. She wasn’t sad or angry anymore, she just didn’t know what to do, she didn’t feel anything in that kiss like she thought she would have.

Laura stepped aside from and door and then sunk to the ground. She felt more emotion when… Laura stopped. Omigod, that’s why Danny thought she moved on. Carmilla.

She now knew, and from Danny’s standpoint, Laura could see it, but there was nothin-

Laura stopped herself. That was a lie, a big fat lie and she knew it. For godsake, she wanted to kiss that girl in the garden today. She thought about Carmilla more and more each time she spent time with her. What happened to hating her like yesterday?

Laura buried her head in her hands. Since when did her life become such mess?

“Laura?” she heard a soft voice say.

Laura looked up and saw one of her very best friends, kneeling beside her.

“Hey JP,” Laura sighed. “I’m just having a small midlife crisis. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just trying to figure myself out right now.”

JP sighed. He grabbed Laura’s arms, picked her up and set her on her feet.

Laura felt tiny next to JP. Granted she was only 5’2”, but he was about 6” and staring up at him made Laura feel smaller than usual.

“Sit down,” JP ordered. “I’ll get some hot cocoa.”

Laura spread herself out on one of the couches and waited for JP. He eventually came back with two cups of hot chocolate and one of them was Laura’s favorite TARDIS mug.

“Thanks Jeep, you’re really sweet.”

JP smiled.

“It’s no problem.”

Laura sipped on the hot drink and it tasted to perfection. Geez, she didn’t know that JP could whip up a mean cup of cocoa. 

“So,” JP said.

“So,” Laura repeated. “What’s up?”

“I just heard something… unexpected.”

“Uh-huh,” Laura said prompting him to continue.

“What’s going on with you and Carmilla Karnstein? I mean, you did criticize me about dating  a Slytherin and now you’re dating the most mysterious and devious one of them all.”

“We’re not dating!” Laura blurted out. “We’re just… lab partners.”

“Just lab partners?” JP asked.

Laura just lost it. She needed to talk to someone and she knew she could trust JP, so she just let it all out.

“I don’t know. She’s hot, gorgeous, magnificent. She’s flirtatious, funny, witty and just so… I don’t even know. I don’t know what we are. I’ve only hung out with her a few times and I just started getting to know her and I don’t really know. Danny has started to move on with Kirsch and then she wanted to talk about it, then she kissed me, but I didn’t feel the way I expected to and I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but two days ago my life was so less complicated and now I don’t have a clue about my own life because of this girl that decided to slip into my life a few days ago and seems to have messed it up, but it’s my own fault for messing up my own life. But there’s something about her JP that I just can’t shake and I feel bad because Danny was on the verge of asking me out, but now I’m not so sure and I don’t know if she’s sure. I need a break, but I don’t want one. I wanted to kiss her JP. I wanted to kiss Carmilla Karnstein, and that is so not like me. I really have no clue what is going on and it’s freaking me out.”

Laura took a huge breath and started to realize she was panting. JP was looking at her wide-eyed and shocked. Silence passed between them. Was JP judging her? She wanted him to say something.

“Geez,” he stood up and walked over to Laura. “Where’s Laura Hollis and what have you done with her?”

He lifted her up and started to shake her. Laura couldn’t help but laugh.

“JP,” she giggled. “It’s me. I swear.”

He stopped shaking her with a huge grin on his face and set her back down. 

“No, but seriously. How do I know it’s you?”

Laura grinned and leaned in to whisper to JP.

“In our second year, you shat your pants and I helped you hide it so you could change. I’m still the only person to this day who knows about that.”

JP’s jaw dropped.

“You swore you would never speak of that day again.” he whispered.

Laura just leaned back and shrugged her shoulders.

“Alright, alright,” JP chuckled.

Laura felt better getting that all of her chest.

“Anyways,” JP said, he tone a bit more serious. “It sounds like you’ve moved on from Danny and have a new crush.”

Laura sighed.

“But how could I have moved on from Danny without knowing it.”

JP shrugged.

“Love is a funny thing and you never really know how it works, but I think that one, Danny waited to long, and two, maybe Danny was never meant to be with you.”

“What about Carmilla?”

“You never know until you try, but it could end up either way.”

Laura sighed.

“Just be careful,” JP said concerningly. “No one knows much about this girl. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Obviously it’s complicated, but I’m here if you need me.”

Laura scoffed.

“I am careful,” Laura felt her nose scrunch. “I’m not a child like everyone thinks I am.”

JP raised his hands in surrender.

“I’m not saying you are.”

Laura laughed lightly, but was actually serious about it.

“When did my life become so complicated?” she whined.

“Honey,” JP said getting up from the couch. “It’s always been complicated, you just think it’s more complicated now because of someone new in your life. I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you in the morning, let me know if you need to rant some more…” 

JP was gone and Laura was left alone in the common room.

She got up and looked at the entrance to her dormitory. She didn’t feel like going to bed right now. She just had too much on her mind.

She walked out of the common room deciding to wander around the castle a while before lights out came around. She just let her legs wander with her thoughts.

She barely knew Carmilla.Why was she so interested by her? Was Carmilla interested in her? Did she want her to be? They had been shameless flirting for the past couple days, but it didn’t mean anything. Or did it?

Laura’s mind wandered to what had happened in the garden earlier today before her phone rudely interrupted whatever it was.

Carmilla never answered her though. About whether she liked Laura or not. Carmilla tended to try and avoid questions she was asked though. Laura was starting to notice these things about her. She didn’t mean to be so observant, but she couldn’t help it.

The astronomy tower was the highest in the castle and she had somehow wandered there. She reached the window and wandered out on to the ledge, laid down and gazed at the stars. The lights in the castle were dimming and it made the stars brighter.

“Well, well. Three times in one day. Stalking me cupcake?”

Laura jumped in surprise and the height of the roof didn’t bother her until she felt like she was going to fall down it. She gripped the tiles of the roof because her in her surprise, she did not feel like dying today.

“Damn,” Laura said getting her head together. “If anyone is stalking anyone, it would probably be you stalking me considering that I was here first,  _ cupcake _ .”

Carmilla chuckled and clambered onto the roof right next to Laura.

Laura felt her lay down right next her. She wasn’t touching her, but Carmilla was close enough that Laura could feel the warmth radiating off her skin.

Silence passed between them and it made Laura nervous. She came here to relax and unwind, but this was the complete opposite. Her heart was racing and she could feel her palms getting sweaty. What was happening to her? Why was she like this?  
“You’re ruining the quiet, buttercup.” Carmilla finally said.

Not realizing how close she was, she turned her head to look at Carmilla. Her face was right there. Like, so close and her face was already turned at Laura. She lost her breath for a moment. The moonlight seemed to make her features light up and seem sharper. 

Laura noticed something in her eyes. They were sparkling with mischief, but behind that was something much darker and unwelcoming.

“What are you talking about?” Laura could barely get out.

“You’re breathing,” Carmilla seemed to get closer. “It’s quite loud.”

Laura stared at her and couldn’t even find the words to say sorry.

Carmilla finally turned her head back to the stars looking peaceful. She never seemed to look like that during the day. She always looked wound and tired and pissed off. Never peaceful, except now.

Laura turned her head back to the stars and wondered about how far they were.

“Whatcha thinking about cutie?” Carmilla asked.

Laura looked at her in confusion and realized that Carmilla had been watching her instead of actually looking at the stars. But Carmilla didn’t look away quickly or blush, she was quite calm about the entire thing.

“How far they are and how long it takes for the light to reach our own eyes. They could be gone right now, but we wouldn’t find out for a very long time.”

“You think so?” Carmilla asked and Laura could see from her peripherals that Carmilla was still staring at her.

“Yeah, I do,” Laura said finally turning her head towards Carmilla and then Carmilla moved hers to look at the stars. “What are you thinking about?”

Carmilla sighed.

“It’s comforting to think how small we are in comparison,” Laura watched her and saw that she started to go somewhere else, her eyes having a weird glazed look, but they weren’t glazed over. “All the lives we’ve lived, the people we’ve been.. Nothing to that light.”

There was something about her eyes, it was like they completely changed for a moment. They green and there was something oddly… cat-like about them, but when Laura blinked, they were normal again. She shook her head, it had to be the trick of eye.

Laura just stared at the stars, listening to the girl next to her breath in and out.

She didn’t know how much time had passed just lying next to this gorgeous girl, but she felt her eyelids getting heavy and did her best to keep them open as long as she could.

“Going to go soon there cupcake? You look like you’re ready to pass out right now.”

“Yeah,” Laura yawned and started getting up. She didn’t even know if she could make it to her bed or not.

Carmilla was in the way of the window, and Laura looked at her expectantly, but she didn’t move nor acknowledge that Laura was above her.

Laura moved so her feet was on either side of Carmilla, but then her foot slipped on a loose tile and she went down. She screamed not only in surprise but also scared of falling off the roof. But she landed right on top of Carmilla. Carmilla who had caught her with her hands on either side of her hips. Laura felt herself get red as soon as it happened and pushed herself up off her.

Something stopped her though, she didn’t know what it was, but she saw Carmilla up really close. She noticed that she had a small scar on her lip. From what? Laura wanted to know.

“Cupcake as much as fun as it would be with you on top, I think I’d prefer it.” Carmilla smirked.

Flustered, Laura quickly got up and left the roof without a word.

 

**Danny**

Oh god. Oh god. Shit. She had just kissed Laura. She had just kissed a girl she had been crushing on for years now. And it wasn’t as good as she had imagined it to be. Did that mean anything? Because she still liked her for her personality and who she was.

Danny stopped in her tracks. She had kissed Laura and she had kissed Kirsch and now… She wanted to kiss Kirsch again. Not Laura. What was happening?

She walked to her common room and tried to start her homework, but she couldn’t seem to focus on doing any of it. 

Her thoughts kept running around non-stop in her head.

She had wanted to date and kiss Laura for years. Now… It wasn’t Laura she wanted to kiss anymore, but she did want to, just not as much as she wanted to kiss Kirsch. She didn’t want to date Kirsch though, she wanted to date Laura.

This was a shit show going wrong.

Danny didn’t even realize that she had been writing a shitty paper for Muggle Studies until she start reading about how love was a complicated process and being a muggle made it harder. She crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.

She needed to think, she needed to clear her head. She looked at her watch. It was past lights out, but she knew that no one would be up right now, so she could wander around without getting caught.

She got up off the couch and set her homework to the side and headed out.

She didn’t know where she was going.

She didn’t really care. She just wanted to walk and clear her head.

She needed fresh air though, outside, out of the walls of the castle, that’s where she could think. She loved the fresh air. The Quidditch field. The first game of the season was in two days against Ravenclaw and she was nervous.

She walked onto the Quidditch field and took in the quiet sound. There were no cheers, nobody watching her. The field was all hers. She would imagine the place like this before a game to get herself focused. This was the first time she didn’t have to imagine it.

She picked up her broom from the Gryffindor locker room which they had just installed a few years ago when the Slytherins complained of having to carry all their stuff from the dungeons to the field.

She lifted off the ground with ease. She done it a thousand times before and she still felt an exhilaration every time she did it. 

She lifted herself high in the air until she could see all of the campus grounds. Well, not all of it. She’d have to go much higher for that, but she could see most of it.

She started back down when she heard a scream.

She turned her broom up and quickly made her way to the castle. Danny couldn’t help it, if she heard a scream, she was bound to help.

There wasn’t another sound after that. Danny shook her head and assumed it was her mind playing tricks on her.

“Hang on there cupcake,” she heard a voice say. She stopped her broom and looked up. The astronomy tower. Who would be up there right now?

She slowly and quietly moved up the wall.

“What?” she knew that voice from anywhere.

“You know I was kidding, right?” she also knew that voice. That snakey voice belonging to one Carmilla Karnstein.

“Oh yeah,” Laura said, a sarcastic ring in her voice. “You were totally kidding. You are always kidding.”

“Whoa,” Carmilla said in surprise. Danny rose her broom up slowly to try and get a view of the two girls. “What has gotten into you?”

Laura looked at the ground.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not really sure.”

Danny noticed that Carmilla was slowly taking tiny steps towards Laura, but it was as if Carmilla wasn’t thinking about it though.

“You just…” Laura’s voice trailed off.

“I what?” Carmilla asked in concern.

“You confused me.” Laura simply stated.

Danny realized that she had been getting closer and closer with a subconscious action to get Carmilla away from Laura and protect her.

Danny hung her head. After everything with Kirsch, she and Laura would never be the same. Not only did Laura seem disinterested, Danny felt like she had moved on by kissing Kirsch. She didn’t mean to, she was just ready to ask Laura out and then she had to end up with Karnstein as her lab partner.

Danny had had enough and flew back down to the field.

There was only one person she wanted to talk to right now, she wanted to get Laura off her mind because she knew that she will never feel the same.

Then her phone started to ring.

“Danny.” she answered.

“Danny, it’s LaFontaine.” they sounded urgent and business like. They must’ve found something that they needed Danny’s help with. She usually didn’t like to partake in their stuff because it usually resulted in a disaster.

“Look, LaF,” Danny said. “It’s late and I really don’t want to take part in whatever you’re planning.”

“It’s Laura,” LaF said and Danny immediately stopped. “We think we know who stole Perry’s necklace and that person… has been spending a lot of time with Laura lately. And the necklace is gone too.”

Danny’s mind started reeling.

“She’s with her. In the astronomy tower. I saw them when I was having a night flight.”

And with that, Danny hung up and started running towards the tower.


	8. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation ensues and Carmilla gets to tell a story.

**Carmilla**

_ You confuse me _ .

How did she confuse her?

Carmilla couldn’t read her and Carmilla hated that. She could usually figure out how Laura was feeling based on her expressions, but she couldn’t this time. This was a new expression.

“How do I confuse you buttercup?” Carmilla said quietly.

“That calling me sweet pie, creampuff,” Laura was stuttering in trying to think. “Other edible things.”

“That’s confusing for you? How so?” Carmilla chuckled and it made her happier to see the little “creampuff” turn red. 

“Yo-You-You,” Laura couldn’t seem to speak and Carmilla just stood there grinning at her flustered state.

Carmilla quickly walked up to her and put her hand on her mouth.

Laura instantly shut up and froze.

“Shhhh… It’s okay  _ creampuff _ ,” Carmilla whispered in her ear. “You don’t need to get all flustered talking to me. After all… I am just a friend.”

Friend. She just called herself Laura Hollis’s friend. Now it was her turn to be flustered but she didn’t show it. She just… She just… She hasn’t had called anyone her friend since… Elle. No. She couldn’t think about that right now. Elle being her friend, the one girl who made her genuinely smile. The one who…Stop.

Laura was still frozen and had said a word, but Carmilla could hear her heart beating out of her chest and she felt her own doing the same. What was going on with her?

Carmilla lifted her head and looked at Laura’s face.

“God. What am I doing?”

Carmilla lifted her hand and ran it through Laura’s hair. Laura remained still, her face still red and plastered with shock and surprise.

“Naive, provincial, girl… Entirely too tightly wound.”

Carmilla finished running through Laura’s hair and placed her hand on her skin near the collarbone.

“Such a cliche. I oughta know better.” Carmilla said it with a grin, but she thought of Elle. She should know better. But what the heck? “And yet, there’s something about you…”

What was it about Laura that Carmilla couldn’t shake? She wasn’t at all like Elle, no matter how many things she may had seen that were similar to Elle, they just didn’t have the same personality, the same air about them.

Laura’s mouth opened.

“Maybe,” she said shyly. “It’s my keen fashion sense.”

Carmilla laughed and looked down at what she was wearing. A long sleeve pajama top with the cookie monster on it and matching sweats with cookies on it. She looked cute, but…

“No,” Carmilla said slowly. “It’s definitely not that.”

Carmilla reached around Laura’s back and brought her closer to her. She was so close she could see Laura’s lips part. Did Laura want her to kiss her? Carmilla leaned down.

Where was this coming from? She had felt this confident in a long time. Sure, she acted confident, but it was all a mask that she put on for sake of her reputation. 

Maybe there was something between them. Was that possible?

The door to the astronomy tower bursted open and Carmilla pulled Laura behind and pulled out her wand her not knowing who or what did that. Now their moment was ruined, no kissing now...

Danny came out with her wand up and the two redheads were right behind her.

“Get away from her!” Danny yelled and then casted a spell at Carmilla.

Carmilla easily blocked it. If it was a duel that Danny wanted, Danny wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

She saw the ginger twins preparing to cast spells, but Carmilla quickly hit them both with a stunning spell, she saw as LaFontaine banged their head against the wall and went down. They were on their hands and knees, clutching the back of their head.

Perry had just slid against the floor, not sliding far enough to get hurt.

Carmilla turned towards Danny who was charging at her and Carmilla was tackled before she had time to point her wand in the right direction.

Carmilla fell to the ground, but then rolled to be on top of Danny. She punched her straight in the eye knowing it would probably leave a nasty mark. 

“Petrificus totalus!” LaFontaine yelled and Carmilla felt her body lock up into a board like state. Shit. Fantastic.

“What the hell are you doing?” Laura yelled.

“We can explain,” Danny said quickly. “We just need to get out of here before the teachers get here. You good to walk LaF?”

They nodded.

“I don’t think I have a concussion.”

“Where can we go?” Danny asked.

“No!” Laura said. “We’re not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!”

Carmilla hated this. One, she was body bound and two, she didn’t know what was going on either. She wanted answers as well.

“Laura,” Perry said quietly. “You trust us right?”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. Of course, Laura was going to go with whatever they wanted. And here, she was lying on the ground unable to even defend herself and speak or whatever. She didn’t even start the fight that probably could have never happened had Danny just talked instead of immediately attacking.

And like Carmilla predicted, Laura nodded.

“Good,” Perry said. “I know a place. Can you carry her Danny?”  
“Of course,” Danny said confidently smirking.

Carmilla wanted to slap that look of her face. She didn’t even beat her, it was LaFontaine that had stopped her. Danny would’ve never beat her because… of well… Carmilla wanted to laugh.

Danny picked her up and she couldn’t even protest. 

Her eyes locked with Laura and she could see the confusion. She wanted to tell her that whatever they thought she did, she didn’t do it, but she couldn’t. Fucking body bind spell. She should’ve seen that coming.

Carmilla kept staring into her eyes trying to communicate, but it was useless.

Perry walked to her, blocking her view from Laura. She leaned down to Carmilla.

“Where’s my necklace at?” she asked quietly.

Necklace? What necklace was she talking abo-. Oh. Shit.

The one mother wanted. She didn’t have it, she tried, but she just couldn’t. Well, actually Alex could have gotten it. That means that it would be where she told her to put it if she ever got a hold of it and couldn’t contact Carmilla. Perfect.

Perry’s eyes were locked on her. Carmilla just rolled her eyes which caused Perry to scoff.

Perry moved and Carmilla could see that Laura was still behind them, eyes locked on Carmilla. She was pondering. She was confused. Carmilla could see it all on her face. Knowing Laura and her friends, Laura wasn’t going to believe her. She was wrapped around her group’s little finger.

They kept walking- well, Carmilla was being carried, but they kept going and Carmilla kept looking around seeing their route and she knew exactly where they were going.

“Here we are,” Perry said. “The Room of Requirement.”

Carmilla had been to this room many times. Often her mother would ask her to store things there or retrieve something from it.

When she opened it up it was like a giant storage warehouse, organized by category and everything. Now it was just a giant room with mirrors on two sides of the wall and a few chairs. It was kind of like a muggle interrogation room.

Danny dropped Carmilla pretty hard on the ground and if she could speak she would’ve grunted and if she could move she would’ve straggled the giant.

They all got their wands out and Laura was holding both hers and Carmilla’s, but unlike the others, it wasn’t directed at her.

“Finite Incantatem,” LaFontaine said and instantly Carmilla felt the release of the damn curse. 

Carmilla hopped up on her feet. She could easily get out of this without a problem.

“Stop,” Danny said and then pointed to a nearby chair. “Sit down.”

Carmilla put her hands up over exaggeratedly and sat down in the chair. She could probably get out of this if she could use her all fours or… that, but she didn’t want to reveal that to the dimwit squad.

Danny put her wand down and tied Carmilla up with some random rope. She almost wanted to laugh at this because it would be too easy to get out this.

“Laura,” Perry said. “I think we owe you an explanation.”

 

**Perry**

After trying to talk to Alex, she knew that there was something else going on with the whole “friend” thing she mentioned.

Perry slipped a little something in her drink later that night after Perry told Laura the news of Danny. Alex was spilling everything about her and what she was doing for Carmilla and she doesn’t even remember telling Perry any of it which is probably good thing for her sake.

As soon as Alex was finished talking, Perry called LaFontaine who was always good at connecting the dots and as she knew, LaF couldn’t not dig deeper.

Alex told her about how Carmilla approached her crying and desperate which didn’t sound like Carmilla at all, and Perry knew that she was probably just acting. But Alex told her about how Carmilla told her that something was stolen from her mother and her mother thought that she stole it and if she didn’t get it back her mother would kill her. Alex mentioned that she knew that Perry had it and that Carmilla couldn’t get into the Hufflepuff room at all. Of course because of how much Alex like her, she said she’d help her out. She couldn’t find the necklace the first time, but eventually found out where it was and then got it the second time.

That was when the potion wore off and Alex looked confused and asked, “What were we just talking about? I forgot.”

Now she needed that necklace back. If it fell into the wrong hands, she didn’t know what could happen.

They had Carmilla tied up right now and Perry was ready to interrogate and get her necklace back.

Even after explaining all this to Laura, she still looked confused and indifferent about what was happening, but she believed Perry and she saw Carmilla just shake her head.

“I don’t have your fucking necklace.” Carmilla said sharply.

“But you must know where it is because Alex said she had found it.” Danny snarled.

Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Did you stop for one minute to think that Alex might still have it?”

Perry scoffed.

“I know she doesn’t have it.”

“Well I don’t either!” Carmilla growled.

Perry stared down Carmilla, but she tore her eyes away because Carmilla was pretty damn scary even tied up. Silence filled the room. No one said a thing. Carmilla just kept switching from looking at Laura with a concerned look and Perry with a glare.

Carmilla obviously cared for Laura. 

“Please tell me you didn’t,” Laura pleaded to Carmilla. 

“Of course she did it, she’s a sneaky Slytherin snake and sh-”

“Shut up Danny,” Laura turned to her and Danny looked shocked. “I didn’t ask you.”

Perry looked at Carmilla who was biting her lip. She was trapped. Perry just really wanted her necklace back. It wasn’t the fact that it could end up in the wrong hands, it was the fact that her dad gave it to her to protect and keep safe. She couldn’t lose it. She just couldn’t.

Perry looked at the ground and squealed when she saw a rat run past her. This place was filthy and she didn’t know how long she could stand to in here.

Perry closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She felt as LaFontaine grabbed her hand. Thank god for them.

“Please Carmilla, tell me this is all a lie.”

For once Carmilla looked defeated.

“I can’t,” she whispered, but everyone could hear it.

Laura looked at the ground.

“Then where is it?” she asked. Laura was no longer being sweet, this was cold. A side of Laura that Perry had only ever seen once before when she found out that her father had been lying to her about her mother’s death. 

“I don’t have it,” Carmilla insisted turning as cold as Laura did.

“But it doesn’t mean you don’t know where it is,” Laura said sharply.

“Even if I knew,” Carmilla growled. “I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Why?” Perry said before Laura said anything more. She didn’t like seeing Laura like this. It was heartbreaking. Laura was so sweet, so innocent. “Is it mother dearest?”

She watched Carmilla’s eyes flicker. She knew that that was it.

“It’s really none of your damn business is what it is.”

“We can do this all night and for as long as we want,” Danny said. “No one would notice or care about your absence, not even the teachers.”

“Sure, but what about you? You can’t watch me all the time.”

Danny smiled.

“It’s called taking shifts.”

Carmilla glared at her and Perry smiled too. It was perfect. She could probably even ask JP to look after her when they all had Potions together.

“Do whatever you want,” Carmilla said with a smirk. “Just know that I don’t know anything. So when I do get out of here…”

“You shouldn’t be throwing out empty threats fang face.” Danny said.

Perry could’ve sworn she heard a low growl from Carmilla’s throat, but it sounded too real to have been her. Perry shook her head. This place was making her crazy and every single second more she stayed in here, the more she wanted to get out, the more she wanted to scream. She felt her throat starting to close and her head started to spin.

“Then it’s settled. She’ll stay here until she talks. Danny you’ll take the first watch. The rest of us are going to get going.” LaFontaine said as she squeezed Perry’s hand.

Before she had the chance to respond, Perry was already out of there.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Shhhhh…” LaFontaine patted her back. “It’s all right.”

LaFontaine waited until Perry caught her breath. It’s what Perry loved about them, they really cared for her and understood her.

“Next time, we need to get a cleaner room.” Perry said.

She smiled when it made LaF laugh.

 

**Laura**

It had been nine days since she found out what Carmilla was up too and that Perry had the right suspicions about her. It was her turn to watch Carmilla. This would be the second time she would monitor her. The first time, they didn’t speak at all. Laura had wanted to ask her why she stole the necklace, why she needed it, why out of all the people in the school she chose Laura to be her one friend. But they both kept quiet. Neither saying a word.

There was just tension. There shouldn’t have been, but they both knew where last night could’ve gone had they never been interrupted. Laura didn’t know what was going on or how she felt about Carmilla. She also wondered how Carmilla felt about her, but she was pissed at her. She hardly knew the girl and yet she had fallen into a trap. She should’ve known. She should’ve known that it would be a Slytherin to feel like she was just stabbed in the back. She knew that Carmilla couldn’t have had any sort of feeling for her.

She walked into the Room of Requirement, and saw Carmilla, who was looking pale and sickly, with LaFontaine next to her just staring her down.

“Laf,” Laura said. “My turn.”

LaFontaine got up and looked at her with concern.

“You good?”

Laura put on a fake smile.

“Yeah, no problem. Go to class. I’ve got this.”

She walked over to Carmilla. Neither said a word and Laura sat down on the chair near her. She pulled out her Potions book and started studying. It was much harder to make potions without a genius partner to help you.

Laura looked up at Carmilla. She was very pale and did not look good at all. When was the last time she ate or drank?

“You feeling okay?” Laura asked and it was as if Carmilla didn’t hear her.

“Carm?” she asked concerned.

Carmilla lurched forward and threw up all over the floor. Laura jumped back just in time.

“Shit!” Laura yelled.

Carmilla’s head went back and her eyes rolled to the back of her head, then she slumped down in the chair.

“Carm?!” Laura shook her. “Carm?!”

Carmilla didn’t wake. Laura looked around the room, grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it all over her face.

“No! No, no, no! Please don’t die you stupid Slytherin!”

Carmilla’s eyes shot open, but they were a weird golden color, and very animal like. Laura only saw them for a moment before she closed them and started sputtering water and shaking her head. She hung her head down, and Laura couldn’t see her face.

“Oh, thank god.”

She ran over towards the door and picked up a cup of water and the tray of food. Carefully ran back over to Carmilla, tilted her head up and forced her to drink the water.

She looked slightly better than before.

“Damn it,” she said. She looked exhausted and still didn’t look so good. 

Laura looked at her with concern and saw her eyeing the food. Laura hated seeing her like this. She looked so helpless and cold.

“You want food?” Laura asked sympathetically.

Carmilla looked at the food and rolled her eyes.

“Fine.”

Laura brought the sandwich to her mouth and she ate it.

Laura noticed that she had a little bit of food on the corner of her mouth and she debated whether or not she should grab it. Oh what the hell. She reached over and almost got it before Carmilla pulled back.

“You’ve… You’ve got something there,” Laura said as she reached again, but again, Carmilla pulled away.

“The experience of being held captive by a clutch of imbeciles for something I didn’t have the pleasure of stealing is humiliating enough without having you wipe me up like a dribbling child.”

Laura backed away. All she wanted to do was help her out. She did feel bad for all of this. Why would she put herself through this if she did do it?

“Look, if you really want me to believe that you don’t know where the necklace is, you’re going to have to explain what Alex was talking about and why you even wanted the necklace in the first place.”

Carmilla sighed. Why wouldn’t she tell her? Was the reason really that bad? Laura looked at Carmilla with real concern and she really wanted to believe her. There just was enough evidence where she couldn’t. Laura didn’t know why, but she wanted to believe Carmilla so badly and she probably would have had it not been for Perry and LaFontaine.

“If you want us to trust you, you have gotta tell us your side of the story.”

“Us? You think the rest of the dimwit squad will believe me buttercup?”

Laura cocked her head to the side contemplating this, but she knew that she could convince them if she tried really hard.

“Perhaps.” she finally replied.

Laura watched Carmilla’s face as it contorted in confusion then into a sigh.

“Alright then. Buckle up, creampuff. We’re gonna be in for a long night… Well, a long Wednesday afternoon.”

“That’s fine with me, we have all day. I don’t have classes for the rest of the day.”

Carmilla smiled sarcastically. 

“My parents died for some mysterious reasons when I was five years old. I still have no clue how they died, I seemed to have stopped caring a long time ago. I remember that I was ripped from my home and everything. Both my parents were wizards and so I was given a new home where mother raised me.”

“Mother?”

“Not my birth mother. She was dead, but my aunt who took me under her wing. I’ve called her mother because she told me too when I was little. I still call her that out of habit. She… She… She saved me.”

“What do you mean?”

Carmilla shook her head.

“It’s complicated. I can’t… I can’t explain it.”

“Can you try and explain?” Laura pleaded. She wanted to know, she wanted to know about her and her life. She wanted to know the truth, no matter what.

“No,” Carmilla said shaking her head. “But when she saved me, it opened up the world to me. I’ve done and seen things that no one has before, but it all had a price to it. You see…”

Carmilla paused and looked at Laura.

Laura was intrigued and wanted to know the rest of the story, so she gestured for Carmilla to continue.

“She needed things. Magical things in order to do what we did. We often stole it from other magical folk and creatures. If we got caught… Mother would get rid of them. But I would often get to know the person we were stealing from and eventually the day would come where I would distract them long enough for mother to obtain the object we needed.”

Laura looked at Carmilla in surprise. Was this really her side of the story? She wasn’t exactly making it easy for her to believe her.

“Stealing magical objects?” Laura asked surprised. “You’re not exactly making it easy for me to believe that it wasn’t you who stole the necklace or made Alex steal it for you.”

“That’s the thing,” Carmilla said. “Alex did steal it for me, but I didn’t steal it and I don’t have it.”  
Laura felt her head tilt in confusion. She was definitely not making it easy for herself.

“I never stole anything, it was always mother or, I or she got someone else to do it and deliver it straight to her. You see, I don’t have it and I don’t know where mother put it.”

“I’m starting to believe you, but not quite.” Laura lied. She did believe her, but LaFontaine and Perry and Danny wouldn’t. She needed more.

“I’m not finished.” Carmilla said.

Laura closed her mouth and looked at Carmilla. She didn’t really notice how beautiful she was. Even in the state she was in. Wait… What? The story. Perfect. More story. She wanted to know more. 

“There was this one job, and it started the same, but I started liking the girl. I genuinely liked her. Nothing was a lie. But when I told Elle about everything… Mother found out. I knew she would… take care of her, so I planned to run away with her. Mother found Elle before Elle could find me and she… she… she took care of her right in front of my eyes. Then as my punishment, she locked me away, for what felt like centuries. When I was finally rescued by my brother, mother ended my punishment as long as I continued to play her game.”

Laura didn’t realize her mouth had been slightly opened until she went to speak.

“So you went right back to stealing?”

Laura still couldn’t see how LaF, Perry and Danny would believe her with this story. Laura was starting to doubt her when she thought she could believe her.

“No,” Carmilla said firmly. “I pretended to go along. I didn’t have a choice, but I did my best to stop her chances when I could. Telling the person to lock away their valuables. Telling them to get out of town. There can be… great satisfaction in small revenges. I never knew why exactly she needed what she did, but I watched and waited. I eventually found out what I had truly been apart of.”

Laura put her hand on Carmilla’s and she watched Carmilla flinch with the touch.

“So you’ve been trying to stop your mother?”  
“When I can.”

“And what have you truly been apart of?” Laura asked quietly.

Carmilla looked down at the floor and shook her head. Laura knew she wasn’t about to talk about it no matter how much she tried to press her.

Laura looked down on the ground very aware the she her hand was still on Carmilla’s. She slowly removed it. She decided she would move on for now.

“What about the necklace?”

Carmilla sighed.

“That’s one object I couldn’t stop her from getting. It would’ve been too obvious, especially when she’s the headmistress here.”

“Well, why can’t we just ask for it back?”  
Carmilla scoffed.

“Did you not hear a word I said about if mother finds out that someone she doesn’t want to know her plans finds out her plans? Elle.” Laura heard her voice crack at her name. “Besides, everyone is terrified of her. I know that you are too. There isn’t one person in this school who isn’t.”

Laura looked into Carmilla’s eyes and saw a real concern for her. Why did she care so much for her and why did she want Laura to believe her?

“I’m going to call Danny, LaF and Perry.”

“You believe me?” Carmilla asked with a small smile on her face.

Laura looked at her. She looked less mysterious and less like a Slytherin for the moment. Laura felt something flutter in her stomach. What was happening?

“Yeah, I believe you.”

Laura looked down at Carmilla and her face was lit. Something she’d never seen before. 

“You really do believe me?”

“Yes Carm,”  _ Carm _ ? “I believe you.”

 

**Danny**

Danny slumped into her chair ready for her stupid Astronomy class. They lost the game on Saturday. She was pissed. They were ahead points wise, but the Ravenclaw seeker had rammed Blithe into a wall hard enough to knock her out, and their seeker was out. They caught the snitch and Gryffindor lost the game.

Danny looked around the room. Everyone was quiet. It was only nine days ago when they tied Carmilla up in the Room of Requirement. She had already watched her twice and she didn’t speak either of the times no matter how hard Danny questioned her.

She never liked that snake. She knew there was something off about her and she was right, she just wished Laura had seen it when she did.

She felt her phone buzzing and picked it up.

“Danny here.”

“Danny,” Laura said. Danny looked at her watch, it was Laura that was watching Carmilla right now. Did something go wrong?”

“What’s up? Did something happen?” Danny asked quickly.

“No,” Laura sighed. “How soon can you get over here though?”

Danny looked at her watch, then looked around the classroom. Fuck astronomy.

“I’ll be there in 10.” she hung up, quickly got up and left before her teacher could notice. Danny would worry about the consequences later.

She ran down the hallways, turning here and turning there, making her way to the Room of Requirement. What could be so important that Laura would call her? She saw the door show up in front of her and opened it quickly to see everyone gathered around Carmilla. Who was standing up. Untied. Next to Laura.

“What the hell is this?” Danny asked in shock.

LaFontaine turned around immediately and her eyes shot up into her hair.

“Tell her she can’t do it Danny, just tell her she can’t let her go.”

“Let her go?...” Danny said in surprise. “Why?”

Danny quickly went at Carmilla, but she felt something small and tiny get in her way. She looked down and saw that Laura had stepped in front of her, surprised that she had not knocked her over.

She looked at Laura.

“So where’s the necklace?” Danny asked knowing that Carmilla never gave it up.

Laura looked down at the ground, then at Perry and LaFontaine.

Danny scoffed and looked at Carmilla who had her arms crossed. She was waiting for an answer, then laughed.

“No one knows, huh?” Danny looked around, no one answered her.

“Danny…” Laura started.

“No,” Danny said quickly. “No. We’re not letting her go until we know where the necklace is. We’re not letting her go until we have the answers we need.”

She looked around at all of them expectantly, but no one said anything. Why were they just going to let her go?

“Laura,” LaFontaine finally spoke. “We just can’t let her go.”

Laura backed up towards Carmilla and away from Danny.

“We can,” Laura said. “We can if she helps us get the necklace back.”

Carmilla stumbled back a little bit and Danny knew that that was a lie. Carmilla volunteer to help them? Probably not in a million years. She never did anyone for anything.

“Help us?” LaFontaine asked in surprise.

“Help you?” Carmilla said in surprise. “I never said anything of that sort cupcake.”

Laura turned towards Carmilla and gave her a look in which Danny couldn’t see. Carmilla then rolled her eyes.

“Fine,” the entire room felt the shock. Carmilla Karnstein just agreed to help. “I’ll help, but I won’t do any of the dirty work. I’m only going to help with info.”

Laura smiled and jumped around turning back towards Danny and the other gingers. 

She couldn’t take it anymore, the smiling, the looks, everything. She was caring too much about Laura when she knew that she didn’t feel the same. Even Danny was unsure of how she felt. With Kirsch and everything… She just didn’t want to deal with it anymore.

“I’m out,” Danny said and started on her way out.

Perry reached over and grabbed Danny’s arm. Danny looked at Perry and saw something desperate in her eyes. Then she turned around and looked at Laura. She looked like she was going to cry.

“Danny,” Laura said. “Please, we could really use your help. I could really use your help with the planning. You’re great at it, you’re great at making good Quidditch plays.”

Normally, Danny would’ve smiled, but coming from Laura’s mouth, it just made Danny sadder. She knew that Laura was approaching her as a friend, but it didn’t feel like that to Danny and it wasn’t how she wanted it to be.

She looked down at the ground, trying her best to hold it together.

“Where do we start?” Danny asked with a fake smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comments, questions and suggestions :) if you have any


	9. You Are the Only Expection

_ Ch 9 _

 

**Carmilla**

Why she volunteered to help, she didn’t know. She was probably screwing herself over going up against mother, but at least they agreed that she wouldn’t do any of the dirty work. She could use deniability if mother asked questions. But it was those stupid brown eyes of hers that made her give in to helping.

What was it about Laura that just drew her to her?

She didn’t know but when Laura turned to Danny to plead for her help, Carmilla couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to flip the damn giant out of the window with her wand.

“We need a plan,” LaFontaine said. “But in order to create a plan, we need insider information first.”

All heads turned towards Carmilla and she shook her head.

“Yeah, lemme just walked up to mother’s office and ask, ‘hey mom, where do you keep all those magical objects that we steal? I’m just curious.’ No. She’ll have my head for that.”

“Well you obviously wouldn’t ask it like that.” Perry said.

Carmilla rolled her eyes. She was not about to lose her life for these dimwits. She liked her head and she’d much rather keep it attached to her body. There’s no way mother wouldn’t be suspicious if she started asking questions because she’d never asked her mother a question in her life about her little operation.

“How else are you supposed to help with “information” then?” Danny snarled at her.

“Well, I’m not about to walk into a fight I know I’m gonna lose,” Carmilla snapped at Danny. “You don’t know mother like I do.”

“Carm,” Laura finally spoke. “We really just need for you to ask her a few questions.”

Carmilla looked into Laura’s big bunny eyes. It was so hard for her not to help her, but she couldn’t. She just couldn’t risk her life for this, not after her mother gave her a second chance.

“I’m sorry cupcake,” Carmilla turned towards the door before she could see Laura’s reaction. “I just can’t go up against mother like this.”

She exited before they could stop her and she quickly sped down the halls towards the Slytherin dormitories. She quickly slipped through the door and took a breath when she got inside.

“Carmilla?”

Her head shot up and saw that Elsie was in front of her looking at her with concerned eyes.

“Hey El,” Carmilla said as she stepped around her.

Elsie reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Carmilla flinched and jerked her shoulder away. Elsie looked slightly shocked and Carmilla didn’t know why she did that. She usually didn’t mind having Elsie around. She was one of the only people she could stand. 

“Sorry,” Carmilla said quickly. “I’ve gotta go do some stuff.”

She turned before Elsie could react and went straight to her bedroom.

What was wrong with her? Her mind was spinning so quickly she couldn’t keep up. She had never felt this way before. Ever.

There was only one time where she almost felt like this, but she even kept her composure when her mother took Elle away…

“Mother!” Carmilla yelled. “She’s innocent. She won’t tell a soul. I’ll stay with you, just let her go. Please.”

It was dark and the wind was howling loudly in her ears.

Her mother just smiled at her, cold and cruel. Elle stood paralyzed right next to her, right next to a cliff due to the control of the imperial curse. Carmilla couldn’t move. Her legs wouldn’t take her forward.

Her luggage and Elle’s were right next to her, they were ready to run. They were ready to get away from her mother and her plans, but of course mother had found Elle before Carmilla did. 

“Just please let her go,” Carmilla pleaded.

Mother came closer to Carmilla, but it was like there was a barrier between them because Carmilla couldn’t reach farther than right in front of her.

“Carmilla, darling,” Mother said very cold and composed. “You don’t understand what is happening do you?”

Carmilla was confused. She never knew anything because her mother wouldn’t tell her. She wouldn’t tell her anything.

“This is for your own good,” her mother said turning her back on her and walking back towards Elle.

“Mother,” Carmilla growled. “I swear you will regret this one day!”

She no longer felt sad. She was anger. White hot anger ran through her veins. She could feel herself want to rip Mother’s throat out.

“What are you going to do little kitten?” she said. 

Carmilla didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to react anymore. The invisible barrier was in the way. She was losing. She was about to lose the one person she only ever cared about.

“Elle,” Mother said calmly, waved her wand and said, “Jump.”

Elle was crying, but she couldn’t say anything or do anything unless Mother told her too.

Carmilla watched as her knees bent, then lifted upward, getting off the ground.

“NO! ELLE!” Carmilla yelled partly in sadness and partly in anger.

Elle threw herself forward and Carmilla watched as she disappeared from view down to the bottom of the abyss.

The barrier fell. Carmilla sprinted forward at her lightning speed and got on her knees to look down only to see her worst nightmare come true. She looked and saw Elle’s body at the bottom on the chasm, unmoving and blood running from the back of her head. 

Carmilla’s anger only got hotter. She stood up and faced her mother.

“Mircalla, darling,” she said calmly. “I only did what was best.”

Carmilla felt her hand ball into a fist and she slammed it into the ground leaving a huge crack in the earth.

“Best for me?” she asked angrily. She felt her teeth get sharper and her nails turn into claws.

Mother smiled.

“Of course. Only for you.”

Carmilla lunged for her throat, but her mother was quick with her want throwing her cat body to the side. But, Carmilla got up and roared at her.

“Calm down before you hurt yourself.” she waved her wand and Carmilla felt herself shrink back into herself, but she still sprinted at her mother, hands fisted. Her mother just tossed her aside again.

Carmilla composed herself quickly. She hated her. She absolutely hated her.

“I don’t like your attitude,” Mother said as she picked up Carmilla by the back of her hair. “I think you need to be taught a lesson.”

Mother still had her hair. Carmilla didn’t remember much after that except being driven to her house and being forced down into the basement into a small coffin-like box.. How long she was in there? She didn’t know. Her mother put her in a deep sleep with a potion after a few days and every time she work up, her mother would immediately put her back to sleep.

She woke up and found out that her mother had locked her up for over a century.

Carmilla snapped away from one of the worst memories she’d ever had, but it made her think. It made her think about her mother, Laura and the life path she was on right now.

After waiting years for the right opportunity to get back at her mother, it had never come up. There was an opportunity here and there, but she never felt it was right or worth it.

She sighed and got up. Maybe it was the right time. After all she wasn’t getting any younger… Or older. Was it worth being in fear now?

Her legs led her down the halls. Past the classrooms, past the quidditch field, to her mother’s office entrance. She knew the password, but as she stood at the door, she didn’t know what she was doing.

She reached up and knocked once. The door quickly swung open and Carmilla naturally walked in. Everything had to be natural. She immediately went over to the pensive looking at it and wondering what she would see if she put her memories in there. It’d probably panic her too much.

“Carmilla darling,” her mother said as she ascended the staircase. “What can I do for you?”

Fortunately for Carmilla, her mother was in a good mood.

“You get the necklace?” Carmilla asked acting uninterested.

“Yes your good friend Alex came up and gave it to me, didn’t ask any questions, didn’t even say a word. What did you tell her?”

“Just that it was stolen from you and that you wanted it back because you cared so much about it and it’s history to the family.”

“She doesn’t know?” Mother asked quizzically.

“No mother,” Carmilla sighed. “I didn’t tell her anything. She doesn’t know anything. Besides, would you really want news of a missing student going around?”

Her mother sighed.

“No I suppose not.”

Carmilla looked over at her mother who was now sitting at her desk.

“What exactly does it do?”

Her mother smiled coldly.

“It just reveals a person behind the mask. I’m using it to fish out the magic of it and making it into something bigger, so then no one can lie about their feelings and can only do what they really feel they want to do.”

Carmilla’s heart spiked. It wasn’t like Mother to tell her these things.

“It’s been long enough Mircalla,” her mother said  “My time is coming to an end-”

Carmilla scoffed. That was a lie.

“I’m getting tired Carmilla,” she said. “And I want you to continue what I’m doing here. I’ll eventually let you know why I do what I do, but for right now… I’m just going to let you in on a few things.”

Carmilla showed her a smirk.

“Is this some sort of test? Some sort of joke?” Her mother was one to do this, test her, play games. Carmilla never liked it and it made her nervous.

“No my dear Mircalla, it’s no game.” her mother reached under her desk and pulled something. The bookshelf next to her moved and revealed a multitude of magical items lined up along the shelves. “This isn’t everything we’ve collected, but it’s the most important stuff. It’s magically protected and you can’t use magic to open it.”

Carmilla cocked her head. It was smart. You’d never think that you wouldn’t use magic to protect something in a magic world.

Her mother pulled the necklace out of her desk, got up and placed it on one of the shelves.

“I’ve extracted what I have needed from the necklace. The magic isn’t completely gone, and I think it’ll replenish by itself.”

Carmilla cautiously walked closer to her mother’s desk.

“What do you plan to do with the… bigger thing?” Carmilla asked slowly.

Her mother’s cold smile never left her face. It was like it was plastered on her face permanently and only got colder when Carmilla asked her question.

“I plan to weed out the teachers and students that don’t have the same goals and intentions as I do,” her mother walked over to her. “There are people conspiring against me, Mircalla, and I need to find out who they are.”

Conspiring against her? Carmilla wanted to ask why, but that would be out of character for her when around her mother.

“There’s something bigger going on her darling, and I am a big part of it.”

Mother reached out and put her hand on Carmilla’s shoulder. She wanted to shake it off, but she didn’t think that Mother would take that well. So she beared it.

Carmilla looked up into Mother’s eyes and that was a mistake. Carmilla didn’t see anything in her eyes except selfishness and coldness. There was no care for her or care for anything in them. It only reminded her of how much she hated her. How much Mother took away from her. 

“Thank you Mother,” Carmilla said calmly. “I just wanted to come in here to make sure you got what you needed.”

Carmilla turned around and started to head out, but when she tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. She turned to face her mother and ask to her to let her go, but it surprised her when her mother was standing right in front of her.

“Sorry darling, but I need to test it out.” her mother said quickly.

Carmilla was about to turn around, but then she felt something in her face, she sneezed and then her head started to hurt for a moment.

She blinked and looked at her mother suddenly feeling very very angry and wanting to punch her in the face. She was smiling that cruel smile of hers and Carmilla knew that her mother had just sprayed her with that shit she made. She had to get out of there before it started to take a full effect on her.

“Thank you mother,” Carmilla said unintentionally sarcastic. Shit. “I really appreciate the use of me as a lab rat.” Shit. It was spilling out, the spell took effect quickly.

Her mother laughed.

“Don’t worry. It won’t last that long. Merely a simple test and I think it’s working.”

Carmilla had to hold her tongue as she was about to bitch out her mother and call her a conniving, manipulative bitch.

“Have a good day, Mother,” Carmilla said quickly and sped out the door.

She got to the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath. It was strong. It was very strong. She was feeling many things and wanting to do many things that she wouldn’t normally do.

She felt her feet quickening, walking briskly. It was a little uncomfortable.

“Carmilla!” she heard a sweet- no. what. Sweet? Carmilla shook her head, grumbled and turned around.

“Cupcake,” Carmilla said deeply trying not to smile like an idiot. It was hard, it was like trying to hold back a wave with a surfboard.

“I just wanted to apologize for the last couple of days and for what I said and how I volunteered you to help us I just thought that after what you told me you would want to help against your mother because what she did was so-”

Carmilla’s hand covered her mouth and she sighed. But she was about as shocked as Laura when she did it.

“Stop talking cupcake,” Carmilla removed her hand. “It’s okay.”

She could feel her caringness start to overpower her normal sarcasm and not caringness mood. She didn’t like it. It felt odd, but good. No. She didn’t like it.

“I already talked to my mother,” Carmilla spit out before Laura could say anything. “We’ll talk about it later. Meet me in our spot later?”

Laura smiled and Carmilla’s face wanted to reciprocate it, but she pushed it down. She could feel whatever was happening getting stronger and stronger.

“Okay. I’d like that.” Laura replied and then Carmilla slipped and she felt the smile manifest on her face. She watched Laura’s face light up even more, and Carmilla wished that she could she see her like that all the time.

Carmilla smiled and couldn’t help it as she reached for Laura’s hand.

“Laura!” they both heard and turned to see a giant redhead coming their way. Carmilla pulled her hand back to her side quickly, rolled her eyes and scoffed. Again, she had not meant to, it just slipped...

“What?” Laura asked with slight accusation. 

Carmilla bit her tongue and shook her head leaving Laura with a confused look on her face. Carmilla knew about Danny and Kirsch, but she also knew about how Danny felt about Laura. Carmilla wanted to rant about how much Danny would break her heart, but she knew that that would be a very bad idea.

“Hello Carmilla,” Danny said neutrally.

“Clifford,” Carmilla replied sarcastically.

“Carmilla!” Laura said in surprise.

“What?” Carmilla looked at both of the innocently. “She’s big, red and she’s the puppy dog that alway-” she stopped abruptly. Shit shit shit. This was getting bad.

“Puppy dog that always what?” Danny said angrily.

Carmilla felt her teeth penetrate her tongue, the blood tasted metallic and thick. Whatever was happening was getting worse with time, when would it wear off?

“Nevermind,” Carmilla growled.

Are you okay Carm?” Laura asked.

No she was not okay, she was crushing to the worst possible person to ever have a crush on. Her mother had just spelled her for “testing”, there was giant annoying redhead who wouldn’t leave her little cupcake alone.

Carmilla stayed quiet and shook her head before she said anything stupid.

“I’ll talk to you later cupcake,” Carmilla said walking away quickly before either of them could stop her.

She got to her spot and let out a deep breath.

God. She hated her mother.

 

**Kirsch**

Kirsch had been worried about running into Laura after he kissed Danny, but as it turned out, Laura didn’t seem to mind when Kirsch tried to talk to her in the hall. But she did seem busy and distracted.

In fact, there was a lot people that he ran into that were acting weird. Danny seemed to be avoiding him, and the two redheads that always hung around Danny and Laura were always in a rush when he tried to talk to them.

He hadn’t seen Danny since the day he kissed her. They’d been texting over the phone. She was really busy with school and Quidditch, but he wanted to talk to her. He kept following her around trying to find a good time to talk, but she was always in a hurry and would often disappear from Kirsch’s sight by moving so fast.

Kirsch saw her sitting down in one of the quads actually not moving at unhumanly fast walk. He walked over to her, but she was too engrossed in her Muggle Studies book for her to look up.

“Hey D-bear,” Kirsch smiled teasingly. 

Danny’s head shot up and glared at him.

“I thought I told you not to call me that anymore,” Danny said sharply, but there was hint of a grin on her face.

Kirsch smiled and sat down next to her.

“So,” Kirsch said nervously. “Have you been avoiding me?”

Danny closed her book and grabbed Kirsch’s hand.

“No Kirsch, I’ve just been very busy. I’m not avoiding you.”

“Oh,” Kirsch laughed. “That’s good.”

Danny removed her hand and placed them in her lap.

“But we should talk,” Danny said quietly. “I like you Kirsch, I really do, but there’s just a lot going on in my life.”

Kirsch hung his head. He knew it. Finally something good came into his life, someone he felt he could trust and it was starting to fall apart even before it started. He felt sad, but then he felt angry. He didn’t deserve this. His life was already messed up enough. 

“It’s Laura. Isn’t it?” Kirsch asked with a little ice in his tone. He loved Laura like a little sister, but he couldn’t stand that she was hurting Danny. After all the years everyone thought they could and would be together, Laura changed her mind now.

“I kissed her.” Danny said.

Kirsch’s head snapped up to look at Danny. It was all over her face, it didn’t go well. It made Kirsch angry. 

“It didn’t go well?” Kirsch asked. Danny was shocked that he was so casual about it.

“No. I don’t think she feels the same way as I do anymore. I think she’s moved on because I waited to long. It just need some space. I’m sorry I kissed you Kirsch. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I can guess what you’re thinking and I just need some time. Okay?”

Kirsch stared out the window. This wasn’t how he wanted it to go. This wasn’t how his life was supposed to go. It was all because of the damn dog inside of him!

“Kirsch? What are you doing to the table?” Danny asked concerned.

He looked down and saw that he had been gripped the edge of the table so hard that is was indented with his grip-print. He quickly let go and turned to Danny.

“I understand,” Kirsch said getting up. “Just know that when you’re done, I’ll be around.”

He heard Danny sigh as he walked away and a thought came to his mind.

“Danny,” Kirsch said. “It wasn’t just you that waited too long. Laura could’ve done something too. And you did do something about it, but it wasn’t your fault that she doesn’t feel the same anymore.”

Danny’s eye were wide with realization.

Kirsch walked out the library door thinking about what had just happened. He needed to get some air. The forest was his nightmare, but oddly it was also his safe place.

He stood at the edge of the forest and stared into the deepness of it. People didn’t think he was a smart, sentimental guy, but he knew he was, he just liked to goof off more.

He started forward, following the path he had taken last time, tracking himself.

“It’s not a full moon, so I don’t see the point of you going in there.”

Full moon? He whipped around and saw the leather-panted girl with disgust on her face. What did she know?

He opened his mouth to speak, but she put her hand up.

“I know you’re a dog when the moon comes out. I’ve seen you come out here before, at night and watch you change. But I think it suits you pretty well considering what a puppy dog you are even without the full moon.”

“What are you talking about there leathered hottie?” Kirsch tried asking innocently.

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Carmilla scowled. “I’ve seen it.”

Kirsch dropped his dumb smirk.

“And with how much you followed Laura around after you kissed her and now how much you follow the other big red dog, you’re very much a puppy. It seems that you would do anything that they asked you to do. You get attached so easily. It’s actually quite pathetic.”

Kirsch wanted to wipe the smirk of her face, but he knew that doing it physically probably wasn’t the best idea. He was getting heated, he could feel it and he couldn’t seem to calm down.

“No need to burst into beast mode right now,” Carmilla said. “It’s too bright out. You never know who may see you. Laura, Perry... Danny… You never know.”

“Just say how you really feel why don’t you?” Kirsch said angrily.

“I actually can’t help it right now.” Carmilla responded with a growl.

“What about you, huh? How about you and Laura?” Kirsch spat at her.

Her face contorted like she was making an effort to hold something back.

“We’re not talking about me here. This conversation is about you. What happened, huh? Daddy give you the gene or were you bitten?”

“No. My life story isn’t for you to know. And why are you avoiding the question? You and Laura?”

Carmilla turned around, fire in her eyes. What was going on with her? Kirsch knew her as a girl to keep quiet, never let things bother her and never let people know her opinions, but there was something else in her eyes today. 

Kirsch turned around to face the forest again, and when he turned back, Carmilla was gone. He sighed. Carmilla would probably always be a mystery to him, but she knew. How did she know? He couldn’t let this get out.

He sprinted up the stairs and into the castle. She couldn’t have gone far. He turned the corner and barrelled right into someone.

“Kirsch!” Danny yelled. “Why aren’t you watching where you’re going?”

“Sorry Danny,” Kirsch looked over her shoulder to see if Carmilla was somewhere, but no such luck. “I was… Ummm… Just trying to catch… Catch this fairy thing I saw fly by?”

“Fairy thing?” Danny asked skeptically.

“Yeah, I went to get some air and then I saw this sparkly thing fly by. If you catch a fairy, you get good luck, right?”

Kirsch didn’t even know what he was saying. He felt like a rambling idiot and even Danny was giving him a funny look.

“No Kirsch, I’ve never heard that and I doubt that there was a fairy around here unless it was let loose by the Dark Arts teacher.”

“Oh.” Kirsch said.

There was this awkward silence between them.

“Look, Kirsch I’m-”

“Danny, I-”

They both looked at each other awkwardly.

“I’m sorry D. You first.” Kirsch said quietly.

“Well… I was looking for you. I just wanted to say that I was sorry. You were right. I’ve been stuck on Laura for too long and she obviously doesn’t feel the same way. So, thank you.”

Danny stepped closer to Kirsch and his heart started to race.

“I’m sorry that this happened to you, but obviously Laura wasn’t for you. Maybe she wasn’t good enough for you.”

Danny laughed and stepped closer again.

“No, if anything no one is good enough for Laura.”

Kirsch scoffed.

“Bro, anyone would be lucky to have you around.” Kirsch smirked.

“Thanks,” Danny said and then wrapped her arms around Kirsch’s neck.

What was going on? Kirsch’s heart was racing like no other, yet he was calm and didn’t feel the danger of the change. Danny was so close, so close and Kirsch wasn’t sure how he was feeling. He just wanted to be there for her in all he could.

He thought back to what Carmilla was saying. A puppy dog. A following puppy dog. Was it true? Sure, he knew he got attached easily, but was he really like a puppy dog?

“Kirsch?” Danny asked.

He shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” Kirsch said quickly.

“No, it’s okay. Are you okay? It seemed like you went somewhere that wasn’t here.”

Kirsch laughed.

“I just was thinking about you… and me.” He said quietly.

Danny smiled and leaned forward. She was so close. Very close. Kirsch could feel her warm, unsteady breathing. He knew what she was going to do, or what she wanted to do, but he felt like it was only confirming what Carmilla said.

Damn it. She has gotten into his head. Screw it.

He leaned into her and put his mouth on hers. It wasn’t like last time though. This time it was less needy, but more wanting. Softer and not as quick. He liked it better than last time. It caught him off guard a little bit.

“Puppy dog.”

Kirsch pulled away and looked around. She was here.

“Kirsch?” Danny asked concerned. “Is everything alright? I mean if you didn’t want that or like it… It’s okay. I mean, it’s not, but-”

“You didn’t here that?” Kirsch asked.

“Hear what?” Danny asked.

Kirsch turned back towards her and saw that she was really concerned and scared. She really didn’t hear it. He shook his head. It was all in his head. Just in his head.

“Are you okay?” Danny asked.

“Yeah,” Kirsch faked a smile. “Just dandy. Just thought I heard something.”


	10. The Truth and Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know it's been a long time. I've been so busy lately, it's been hard to write. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't worry. The main plot is coming very soon.

_ Ch 10 _

 

**Laura**

She was so frustrated with the leathered panted hottie. Hottie? Well, there’s no denying that she was completely and utterly gorgeous, but she was so annoying and her sarcastic comments and her amazing voice and you knew she cared when she seemed like she didn’t.. What the hell?

Ugh!

“Worst. Crush. Ever,” Laura mumbled underneath her breath.

Carmilla was something else. Different than any other girl she had met. She was so frustrating, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her sarcastic comments, her signature smirk that pierced her lips so perfectly and she just wanted to take it and…

God. What the hell was wrong with her? She was too alone walking down the halls allowing herself to think too much and when she thought too much, that was just too much for her. She hated when her thoughts ran rampant, it was like her babbling, she couldn’t control it half the time.

She needed to go after the sarcastically gorgeous Slytherin and talk to her about something. Something. She didn’t know what yet.

Maybe she would be in her spot. Laura didn’t know what came over her, but she picked up her heels and started running. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, there was something that made her want to see her, but she wasn’t sure what she would do or say when she got there.

She practically made skid marks when she spotted JP in the corner macking on some boy. JP had mentioned that he was seeing someone, someone who wasn’t quite out of the closet like she and JP were.

She started to back up slowly, not to disturb them. That was until she hit her leg on the side of the bench she didn’t see was behind her.

Both boys looked to see the commotion and Laura felt herself turning red.

She saw the other boy, and he had familiar brunette hair with dark brown eyes that she’d sworn she’d seen before. 

“Laura,” JP said in surprise. “I didn’t think that anyone would be around here right now.”

“I’m sorry Jeep, I was just looking for someone. I didn’t expect anyone to be here either. I’m sorry. I won’t say anything to anyone. You know me, zip my lips shut and everything. I won’t tell a soul, unless of course you want me too, but I won’t.”

JP grabbed Laura’s arm comfortingly.

“It’s okay Laura,” JP walked her over to the guy. “This is the guy I was telling you about. This is my guy, Will.”

Will smiled at her.

“It’s nice to meet you, as he said I’m Will, William Karnstein.” He flashed a smile and held out his hand.

Laura’s eyes went wide as she shook his hand. Of course she had a brother, she knew this but she had never actually met him before. She was almost a spitting image of his sister, the jawline, the amazing hair, but that’s where it stopped.

“Could you do us a favor,” he asked and flashed a smirk, Laura was thankful that it wasn’t like Carmilla’s. “I haven’t really told anyone about our relationship. So, could you keep this quiet? At least until we tell people.”

Laura smiled.

“Yeah, sure. No problem. I can totally do that.”

“Thanks, L.” JP pulled her into a big bear hug. “You’re the best. I owe you one.”

“I’ll just uh… Back away here,” Laura said as she backed out of the hallway. “So you can continue on.”

She hit the bench again causing the boys to laugh while she felt her face turn red. She was just being so awkward.

She turned the corner to go towards the Slytherin common room and hit something big and tall that knocked her on her ass.

“Shit sorry,” she heard Danny say as she reached out her hand.

Laura grabbed it and let Danny help her up.

“It’s fine, I’ve just been running into everyone today. It’s not your fault. Whatcha doing out so late?”

“Trying to find you.” Danny said shyly.

Laura realized that they haven’t talked one on one since Danny had kissed her. Laura really did not want to talk about it, but it seemed like Danny did.

“What’s up?” Laura said a little too perky.

“I’m sorry,” Danny said. “I’m sorry for kissing you and I’m sorry for waiting too long to do it. I just never knew if you liked me like I liked you.”

“Danny,” Laura sighed. “I c-”

“I’m not trying for a second chance,” Danny interrupted.

Laura shut her mouth. What was this about then?

“I lost that chance,” Danny said. “You’re clearly over me and I didn’t mean to push it or anything-”

“You didn’t push me,” Laura interrupted. “And what do you mean that I’m clearly over you? I did have a crush on you for a long time.”

“You don’t see it, do you?” Danny asked.

“See what?” Laura asked. She really had no clue what she was talking about. Sure, yeah she was over Danny, but what made her see it “clearly”.

“Don’t you see those seduction eyes that Carmilla always gives you? Did you wonder why she told you her life story? And you believed her? Not to mention, why she decided to get some “information” for you?”

Laura laughed.

“Seriously L,” Danny said. “She’s got a thing for you. But it seems that you’re the only one who doesn’t seem to see it.”

“She’s just flirty,” Laura sighed. There’s no way that Carmilla Karnstein would have a thing for her. Laura just couldn’t see Carmilla Karnstein having a thing for her, she was… Carmilla Karnstein for godsakes. 

“She’s not just flirty,” Danny sighed. “And maybe if you stopped being so ignorant, you would see it, and maybe you would’ve seen that I had like you too.”

“Well-” Laura started then stopped. The looks that they shared, the touches… The fact that Carmilla was for once in her life willing to help someone out. Did she really? No. But it could be possible. Really?

“I’ll see you later, Laura, I gotta find Kirsch” Danny said quietly. “I really hope that you can see it before someone else’s heart gets broken.”

Laura barely heard the last thing that Danny had said and couldn’t even really process it at this point. Her mind was running a muck and she couldn’t stop thinking about her moments with Carmilla. She needed to find her.

She started down the hall when she heard someone call her name.

She turned around and saw LaFontaine approaching her. She was kind of flustered at the moment and was shocked to see them at this time. She really wanted to find Carmilla right now.

“Laur?” LaFontaine asked. “You okay?”

Laura looked around her to see if Carmilla would be around at sometime. She wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity.

LaFontaine hugged Laura.

“Is everything okay frosh?”

Laura looked up at them, at first not sure what to say, but then she thought that she should just speak. This was LaF after all.

“I just saw Danny and she said some things to me. I don’t know what to do. She was right about some things, but I just don’t know what to do. My life did not expect some broody, leather-wearing girl to stroll into my life and complicate things. Speaking of which, have you seen Carmilla?”

“I was just looking for her. I don’t know where she is.” LaFontaine said.

“Looking for her?” Laura asked surprised. Why would LaFontaine be looking for Carmilla right now. 

“I was just going to ask her if she got any info about the necklace.”

“Only after we let her go a few hours ago?” Laura didn’t quite understand why they would be so eager. Unless it was for Perry, I mean it seemed that Carmilla would do the same thing...

LaFontaine suddenly got this look of surprise and fear on her face. 

“Ummmmm… I’ll see you later, Laur.” LaFontaine said as she walked away extremely quickly.

Laura turned around and saw her- the leather panted hottie coming straight towards her with a look of lust her in eye that she had seen before during their time in the tower, but this look was more intense.

There were no words, but Carmilla’s hips were swinging in such a way that Laura wanted to pin them in place because it was just too much. She realized that she had backed herself against the wall which of course, Carmilla seemed to take advantage of.

She placed her arms on either side of her just like they were in the secret place, but this time Carmilla had pinned her hips against Laura’s and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Her face was so close and Laura found herself staring at Carmilla’s lips, and realized that she was biting her own lip.

“God,” Carmilla finally spoke and Laura could feel her warm breath against her face. She smelt of mint with a hint of metal and lemon. “I really want to bite that lip for you.”

Laura felt her breath hitch.

“Then why don’t you?” Laura asked more confidently than she had expected.

Carmilla’s eyes widened and leaned in, but then stopped.

“Cupcake, I don’t know what’s going on with me right now,” Carmilla was so close, her mouth was right next to hers. “But I’m really really into you. With your cute personality, your incredibly sexy lips and not mention you’re really hot.”

Laura swallowed and felt her mouth watering and desire pooling low in her stomach.

“Like I said before we got interrupted, there’s just something about you that I can’t stop thinking about,” Carmilla looked down at her lips, then back in her eyes. “Enough talking. I want to bite your lip.”

Carmilla pushed her body up against Laura’s, she kissed her cheek and then started to trail along her jawline.

Laura just wanted to feel Carmilla’s lips on hers. She felt the warmth of Carmilla’s lips on her chin, and then a little bit on her bottom lip. Then she felt the warmth leave her and Laura leaned forward wanting and missing the contact.  
Laura looked up and saw Carmilla smirking. Oh, that fucking smirk.

Laura leaned forward and put her lips on Carmilla’s which seemed to light something in her. Carmilla pushed her into the wall and kissed her eagerly. She felt Carmilla flick her tongue against her lips, wanting to gain entry which Laura granted.

Carmilla wrapped her tongue in Laura’s, and continued to explore every part of Laura’s mouth over and over and over again. Laura felt a moan escape her mouth. She did not expect that. At all.

Carmilla bit the bottom on Laura’s tongue, which another moan escaped her mouth and Laura was in full bliss. Something overcame her and she ran her hands up Carmilla’s shirt until she reached her bra, then grabbed Carmilla’s hips and flipped their positions.

Laura pressed the brunette against the wall and continued to kiss the girl in front of her. Laura wasn’t sure what made her so confident, but once again ran her hands up Carmilla’s shirt, released her lips and placed them onto Carmilla’s neck, slowly and needingly ran her tongue and mouth down her neck. Her hands had started to palm Carmilla’s breasts.

She heard Carmilla let out a long moan and Laura couldn’t help but feel satisfied that she had just made the girl against her make that wonderful sound. She felt herself growing more wanting, she would surely see that her panties would be destroyed later.

Laura grabbed Carmilla’s wrists and pinned them over her head with one hand, keeping her other hand on Carmilla’s chest. She felt Carmilla suck on her bottom lip warranting a whimper from her. 

Laura was surprise when Carmilla was strong enough to push Laura back against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway, pinning Laura’s wrists just like she had done to Carmilla. Then she slid her hand up Laura’s thighs and started messing with line of her pants. Laura had thought she had lost her breath until she released a ragged moan.

Carmilla’s lips detached from Laura’s and down her neck to suck on her collarbone. Laura heard a door slam which apparently Carmilla didn’t hear.

“Wait, Carm,” Laura said finally being snapped out of her lustful haze. “Hold on.”

Carmilla looked up and gave her a frustrated face, she let go of Laura’s wrists, but went back to kissing Laura’s neck. Carmilla had certainly become taken with kissing Laura’s neck. Laura wanted more. Oh, she wanted so much more, but they couldn’t not now.

“Carm, C-Ca-Carm,” she said flustered as Carmilla lightly bite her neck. “Whoa there, lady killer. We’re in the middle of a school hallway, let’s keep this PG-13.”

Carmilla sighed and stopped the kissing.

“PG-13, how incredibly dull,” Carmilla breathed against Laura’s neck, rubbing her cheek on Laura’s.

Laura laced her hands into Carmilla’s.

“Go out with me,” Laura said and she almost laughed at herself. She didn’t know where this confidence was coming from, maybe she was feeding off of Carmilla’s energy.

“Laura,” Carmilla sighed. “I can’t really filter my actions right now and there’s nothing in this world that I would want more than to go out with you, but there’s things that… prevent me from doing so.”

“Your mother?” Laura asked, even though she didn’t have to. After hearing Carmilla’s story, her mother sounded like a raging b-bad person. No one needed to tell her twice.

Carmilla nodded.

“Come on Carm,” Laura pleaded. She really wanted this, like really really badly. “We can keep it on the down low. Everything is low key and- and-”

Laura stopped, the gears in her brains turning quite quickly.

Carmilla used two fingers to lift Laura’s head up, looking at her expectantly.

“What if we just hung out?” she continued. “No expectations.”

Carmilla smirked.

“You’re killing me Hollis.”

 

**Danny**

“Please tell me that you’re not going crazy Kirsch,” Danny teased him.

Kirsch laughed, but Danny felt this nervous energy come off of him. She gave an awkward smile. She knew that he wasn’t crazy, but there was something that he wasn’t telling her.

“Kirsch, what’s wrong?” 

“I saw Carmilla a second ago and there was just something that she said that got to me and it made me think until you came over.”

His face was serious and Danny had never seen his face so serious before.

“Carmilla? Carmilla Karnstein? What she want with you?” Danny asked very suspiciously.

“I’m not sure,” Kirsch pondered. “Leather-hottie was a little off today. I’m not sure what was going on, but she sure as hell looked like she was going to lite someone of fire.”

“Leather-hottie? Really? I’m standing right here. And Kirsch, you gotta stop saying those things like ‘hottie’. I know you mean well, but it’s degrading to the people around you.”

Danny sighed.

Kirsch looked slightly shocked and then hung his head, looking at the ground.

“Sorry D-bear,” Kirsch said with his head still hung. “It just kind of comes out, ya know? I don’t mean it that way. And… I really- kind of- sorta- like you.”

Danny lifted his head up with her finger, he looked like a sad puppy that had just been reprimanded for chewing on the couch.

“I know,” she sighed again.

Danny looked down the hallway and intertwined her hand with Kirsch’s. His face lit up like a happy puppy again.

“Walk with me back to the dorms?” Danny asked.

She still didn’t know what to think about her and Kirsch. Everything had fallen out of place and she was kind of lost at this point. She was so mad at Laura for being… Laura and unaware of the emotions encircling her. After their kiss, she had been so sure that Laura was into her, and she had been. Had- being the main term there. She was also so mad at herself for being so slow to get to the punch before Fangface left leather-panted scorch marks on her way in the door.

But Kirsch… Kirsch was so kind and sweet to her, even after all the teasing and fighting they had done to each other since their beginning years. Not to mention, he wasn’t too bad on the eyes.

“So,” Kirsch started.

“Can we just walk for a bit?” Danny asked quietly.

“Uhhhh,” Kirsch smiled. “Sure, sure. Walking is good.”

Danny hadn’t quite sorted all of her feelings out about Kirsch… about Laura. She knew that Laura wasn’t into her like Danny had been into her. Was Danny still harboring feelings for her? She still felt this need to protect her,  but it wasn’t like it used to be.

And Kirsch… He’s so sweet and protective. She was the one who usually protected people, but for once, it felt nice. He was also taller than her which was a plus because she was taller than most of the girls and even some of the guys she had been interested in. She really enjoyed the way his hand into her hand and the way he would look glance over at her thinking that she didn’t notice his slight fidgeting of his other hand.

She smiled, remembering what he said earlier.

“So… You really- kind of- sorta- like me?” Danny mocked him.

Kirsch stopped suddenly with a shy and shocked look on his face.

“Ummm.. Well,” Kirsch started. “I mean, I know we haven’t really gotten along in the past, but I don’t know. I guess something changed this past year. I think that I’ve grown up a bit and I do have a pair of eyes, ya know?”

He grinned from ear to ear.

Danny chuckled and rolled her eyes.

Kirsch dropped her off at the stairs leading to the girls dorms in the Gryffindor common room. He was so freaking adorable.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard sobbing coming from one the beds. 

She reached the bed that she heard the sounds coming from, surrounded by curtains, Danny was unable to see in. As soon as she reached the foot of the bed the sobbing stopped immediately.

“Hello?” Danny asked. “Are you alright?”  
There was no response. 

She reached for the curtains and held them for a moment, wondering if she should open it and help whoever it was out or if she should just let it be. Her instincts won though and she opened the curtains slowly.

“I just want to hel-” Danny stopped when she realized that no one was there. Then she heard it again. This time it was coming from the common room. Confused, she quickly walked down the stairs, but it stopped once she got to the bottom. The room was completely empty. 

Danny spun around and jumped when she saw someone in front of her.

She looked at Danny with concern.

“Are you okay?” Betty asked.

Danny whipped her head around to check the common room again.

“Uhhh… Yeah,” Danny shuddered. “I’m fine. I think I just need some rest.”

“You look a little pale there D, you sure everything's okay?”

Danny blinked and then saw the top of her bedpost. She sat up quickly unsure of what had just happened. She whipped out her watch and looked at the time.

7am. 

The last thing she remembered was talking to Betty… She quickly got up and got her robes on, descending down to the common room when she saw her sitting next to Kirsch and Blithe talking about the next quidditch game. Kirsch turned and looked at her, immediately standing up and walking over to her.

“Uhhh you okay D-bear?” Kirsch asked.

“Yeah,” Danny asked confused. “Why?”  
“You uhhh look a little stressed and pale. Plus,” Kirsch lowered his voice to a whisper. “Blithe thinks you kind of got crazy eyes.”

“What?” Danny asked. What was he talking about? And what the hell happened last night. She needed to talk to Betty and figure out where and what she did before going to bed.

Danny quickly walked over to Betty and Blithe, Kirsch tailing behind her.

“Hey, hey,” Betty said. “So where’d you go off to last night?”

“Huh?” Danny asked. “What are you talking about?”  
Betty’s smiled widened.

“Oh come on Danny, last night… After I said you looked pale, you just drank some water and then said you had to go somewhere. It was like, after hours and everything and I was like, whoa, Danny Lawrence is going out after hours, hold the phone and take out the record books.”

“I went out?” Danny asked under her breath, even more confused than before.

“Uhhhh, duh,” Betty said. “You were there and you wouldn’t even tell me where you were going.”

This wasn’t making any sense to Danny. Where did she go and how come she doesn’t remember it. She’s never lost track of time before. Someone must have jinxed her, someone must have memory charmed her or something. Who would do that? And why?

She grabbed Kirsch’s hand and started out the door.

“Bye guys, we’ll see you later,” she said quickly dragging Kirsch behind her.

“Whoa, whoa there Lawrence,” Kirsch said as they reached outside the dormitory. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Danny shook her head.

“I am most certainly not,” Danny whispered. “Kirsch, I can’t remember anything from last night. The last thing I remember was talking to Betty and then waking up in my bed. I don’t remember finishing the conversation with Betty, I don’t remember going out and I don’t remember even going to bed. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“Dude,” Kirsch laughed. “You certainly sound crazy.”  
Danny glared at him.

“You’re not joking?” Kirsch asked.

“No Kirsch, I am not joking. Not remotely.”

“Wow,” Kirsch said. “Well, you may not remember going to bed, but I was there when you did.”  
“You were?” Danny asked in suprise.

“Yeah, I was trying to finish some stupid potions paper so that I could try and make sure that you didn’t do all the work, but I did need some help and Betty said you went out, so I decided to wait for you. When you got back you smelt like dirt and something else… I’m not sure, but you came back and even before I got a word out, you said that you were tired and going to bed. I tried to stop you, but you kind of just ignored me.”

Danny looked and him and kind of looked hurt talking about the last thing. Danny couldn’t put anything together. Going out? Smelling like dirt? She shook her head.

“Hey Danny, hey Kirsch,” she heard a very familiar voice say.

“Hey, L!” Kirsch smiled wide. “D here can’t remember anything from last night.”  
“Kirsch!” Danny yelled. She did not need anyone else, especially Laura to think that she was crazy or going crazy. Crazy in the wizarding world was worse than the Muggle world.

Laura cocked her head showing confusion and interest.

“What can’t you remember?”

“Well, I remember-” Danny paused. She really did not want this right now. “It’s not important. I mean, I’m fine.”

“Betty says she went somewhere and she can’t remember and then she also can’t remember coming back. I was there, she smelt like dirt an-” 

Danny closed her hand around his mouth. God, she was going to kill him.

“Dirt?” Laura asked. “Well, I don’t know anything about that, but you did run into Carmilla and I. You were kind of angry that we were out after hours even though you weren’t even on duty last night. You told me to go back to my dorm and then you went off with Carmilla.”

“To where?” Danny asked. “Do you know?”  
“Yeah,” Laura asked concerningly. “You went to the Headmistress office.”

“With Carmilla?”

“Yes.”  
“So I went to the Headmistress’s office with Carmilla?”

She didn’t even wait for a response from Laura as she took off. Carmilla. She knew that that girl was bad news. She knew that something was off about her. This somehow must be her fault. She was going to find her and get to the bottom of it. It just didn’t sound right.

The Headmistress’s office with Carmilla Karnstein. That’s all she had so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave comments and stuff below :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'll post the second one up soon. I'm going to try and update at least once a week.


End file.
